Sometimes, you might want to email multiple people. However, using the traditional method (Cc), all the recipients will see the rest of the recipients that you sent the email to.
You may not always want that. For example, if you are sending the same job application to multiple potential employers, you may not want them to see which other companies you are applying to.
Or, you might be sending the same email to all of your friends and acquaintances, but you might not want them to see who else is getting the email for personal reasons.
If you are sending a fundraising email to your list of contacts, letting everyone see who else received the email may result in fewer funds collected. If people see others on the list who they perceive to be well-off, they may figure that their donations are not needed and decline to contribute to your cause.
Fortunately, there is a way to email a lot of people without them being able to see who else you sent it to, regardless of why you don’t want them to know. That’s what I will explain in this email.
Is There a Way to Email Multiple Recipients Without Them Knowing?
Yes. You can do that from any popular email client, such as Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Outlook.
It’s a pretty simple process, and once you learn how to do it, it’s easy to remember the process for the next time. The key lies in using Bcc instead of Cc.
Cc vs Bcc: What’s the Difference?
By kozhedub_nc at Shutterstock
Cc and Bcc are two mechanisms for sending a single email to multiple people at the same time. Whether it’s a personal email you’re sending to friends or a business email, it’s critical to choose the right one.
Cc stands for Carbon Copy. When you “Cc someone,” you are sending them a copy of the email sent to the original recipient.
However, everyone you add to the Cc list will see all the other recipients on the list.
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By Bakhtiar Zein at Shutterstock
Bcc, on the other hand, stands for Blind Carbon Copy. When you “Bcc someone,” they will receive the same email as the original recipient – but they won’t see the other Bcc recipients.
The term carbon copy originates way back before email was invented – indeed, way before computers were invented. It used to refer to making copies with carbon paper (although it used to refer to a certain type of print even before it was used to refer to that, according to Merriam-Webster).
In either case, Cc and Bcc today are used to refer to email copies. A blind copy is one that keeps the recipient “blind” and in the dark as to who the other recipients are. The original recipient is also blind to the fact that copies exist, as Bcc prevents the original recipient from knowing that you sent a copy to someone.
Bcc is a new term that never existed before email. There was no way to make a blind copy with carbon paper, as that doesn’t even make sense.
Cc and Bcc are also sometimes spelled as CC and BCC. The meaning is the same, however.
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How to Send an Email to Multiple Recipients Without Them Knowing on Different Platforms
Here is how to use Bcc on Gmail, Apple Mail, Yahoo, and Outlook.
How to Send Email to Multiple Recipients Without Them Knowing on Gmail
Most or many of you are probably using Gmail, so it’s the platform I will address first.
When composing an email in Gmail, you will find the Bcc option at the top-right of the email, as in this screenshot:
Once you’ve clicked on Bcc, you’ll be able to start entering recipients. Again, make sure to use Bcc and not Cc.
You have two options here.
The first is to enter each recipient manually. You can type multiple email addresses, but make sure to add a comma and a space after each email address to separate them.
Alternatively, if you have communicated with those recipients before, they will show up from a drop-down list in Gmail. Simply select people from the drop-down list to add them to your Bcc recipient list.
Once you are done with your Bcc list, compose your email and click on the blue send button at the bottom of the email editor. That’s all there is to it!
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How to Send an Email to Multiple Recipients Without Them Knowing on Apple Mail
For all of you Apple fans, here is how to Bcc people on Apple Mail. To start, click on the blue writing icon at the top-right of your screen to start composing a new email.
You will see the Cc/Bcc field right under the “To” field. Click on “Cc/Bcc” to open up the two separate Cc and Bcc options, as in this screenshot:
In the Bcc field, start entering your recipients. Add a comma and a space after each email address to separate the recipients from each other.
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How to Send an Email to Multiple Recipients Without Them Knowing on Yahoo Mail
If you’re using Yahoo Mail, sending an email to multiple recipients without them knowing involves a similar process as on Gmail.
Start by clicking on the blue “Compose” button in the top-left corner of your screen. You will see the Cc/Bcc option in the top-right corner of your email editor, as in this screenshot:
Click on it to open up the Cc and Bcc fields. In the Bcc field, start entering the email addresses you want to send the email to.
Select email addresses from the drop-down list that appears when you start typing, or type in new email addresses. Separate each email address with a comma and a space.
Compose your email and click on the blue send button at the bottom of the screen.
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How to Send an Email to Multiple Recipients Without Them Knowing on Outlook
Let’s move on to Outlook, which is owned by Microsoft. Start by composing a new email – click on the blue “New Message” button at the top-left of your screen.
On Outlook, the Cc and Bcc options are separate from each other. Both are highlighted in blue at the top-right of your email editor.
Click on Bcc. Then, start typing in emails; either select email addresses from your contacts or enter each email address completely, separating the emails with a comma and space in between each one.
Then, click on the blue send button when you are ready to send your email.
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How to Send an Email to Multiple Recipients Without Them Knowing Using an Email Marketing Tool
Finally, there is another way to send emails to multiple recipients without them knowing, and that is by using an email marketing tool like AWeber, Campaign Monitor, Constant Contact, or Mailchimp.
These tools usually cost money, although some tools offer a free plan if you only have a few subscribers.
However, these tools are not meant for personal emails. Instead, they’re meant for marketing emails, and they allow you to send a single marketing email to multiple people without using the Cc or Bcc options.
Businesses who are sending emails to multiple customers, may be wise to use one of these email marketing tools. If you have an existing customer email address list, you can upload it to the tool directly.
When you send out an email, everyone on the list will get it without knowing who else is on your list.
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Can People Who Are Bcc’d Reply to and Forward Emails?
This is a common question, and the answer is yes. Anyone who is on the Cc or Bcc list can reply to your email once they receive it, and they can also forward the email to new recipients.
However, the difference is that someone on the Cc list can reply to you and all the other recipients of the original email. However, since those recipients are hidden to Bcc recipients, Bcc recipients can only reply to you directly.
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Wrapping It Up: How to Send Emails to Multiple Recipients Without Them Knowing
For personal emails, use the Bcc option to hide your recipients from each other and to prevent the original recipient from knowing that other people got it. The Bcc option is available whether you are using Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, Apple Mail, or other platforms.
Businesses can use email service providers like AWeber or Mailchimp to send a single email to multiple recipients at once.
Benjamin Levin is a digital marketing professional with 4+ years of experience with inbound and outbound marketing. He helps small businesses reach their content creation, social media marketing, email marketing, and paid advertising goals. His hobbies include reading and traveling.