Once you know how to send a basic email, you may want to use functionality like carbon copy, reply to and forward, especially in cases where you are using Gmail for organizational or professional purposes.
Carbon Copy
The carbon copy options are located just under the “To” box in most Gmail set ups. You can see the options in blue in the image above. There is a selection for “Add CC” and “Add Blind CC (Bcc)”. These are conventions that are normally used in a business environment. Although you can add all the individual emails within the “To” box, you may want to have a way to designate who is supposed to act on the email and who is simply receiving an informational copy. Those receiving the informational copy would be entered in the “CC” box. Access the “CC” box by clicking on “Add CC”. You will then be able to enter additional email addresses.
In some cases, you may want to send a copy of an email to someone without anyone else knowing who received it. This is a good tool to use if you are sending an email to multiple people who may not want their email address shared. To access this option, click on “Add Blind CC”. You will then be provided a box for entering those email addresses.
Reply and Forward
If you receive an email and want to take further action on it, you can choose to reply to the email or forward it. At the bottom of your email, you will see a box such as the one pictured below.
By clicking on “Reply”, you open an email composition box that will allow you to type a reply to the original message. Unless you have made any setting changes with your account, the original message will be included with your reply.
If you would like to forward the message to someone else, you can click “Forward”. A composition box will open up and prompt you for a new email address. You will also be allowed to enter a message on top of the message you are forwarding. This can be helpful if you need to explain why you are forwarding the message.
In cases where an email was originally sent to multiple recipients, you may also see an option for “Reply All”. If you select “Reply”, the email you send will go only to the person who wrote the email to which you are replying. If you select “Reply All”, the email will go to everyone who was on the original “To” or “CC” list. You want to be careful about selecting the right options, as it can be embarrassing to “Reply All” with information meant for one person.