How to Automatically CC Yourself in Outlook

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Jake Colins

If you frequently find yourself digging through your Sent folder in Outlook to confirm that a copy of your message was saved properly, or if you want to have every email you send also land in your inbox for reference or third-party tools, you might benefit from automatically CC’ing yourself in Outlook. While Outlook doesn’t provide a native checkbox for this functionality, there are safe, reliable methods — both manual and automatic — to set it up. In this article, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of how to do this for different Outlook environments, including desktop and web versions.

TL;DR: Automatically CC’ing yourself in Outlook helps you keep a personal copy of all outgoing emails. You can do this by setting up a rule in Outlook Desktop or using a Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) script, depending on your preferences. For web users, Outlook on the web also allows for similar configurations via rules. We explain each method carefully to help you choose the one that best suits your needs.

Why Automatically CC Yourself?

There are several reasons users may want to automatically CC themselves:

  • Email Archiving: Automatically store a backup of all sent emails in your inbox or another folder.
  • Workflow Management: Forward emails to a project management or CRM system via your own address.
  • Peace of Mind: Ensure that every important email you send is logged in your inbox for immediate review.

Now let’s explore how to set this up step-by-step depending on your version of Outlook.

Method 1: Using Outlook Desktop Rules

This is the most popular and straightforward method for users of Microsoft Outlook for desktop.

Step-by-step Instructions:

  1. Open Microsoft Outlook.
  2. Go to the Home tab.
  3. Click on Rules in the ribbon, then choose Manage Rules & Alerts.
  4. In the popup window, select New Rule.
  5. Under “Start from a blank rule,” choose “Apply rule on messages I send” and click Next.
  6. On the next screen (with conditions), you can click Next without selecting anything and then confirm the popup message by clicking Yes. This allows the rule to apply to all sent emails.
  7. Now, set the action by choosing “CC the message to people or public group”.
  8. Click the link in the lower box to select your own email address as the recipient and click OK.
  9. Click Next to continue, then add any exceptions if needed (optional).
  10. Give the rule a name, such as “Auto CC Self”, and make sure the rule is turned on.
  11. Click Finish, then Apply and OK.

This will ensure that every email you send will be CC’ed to your designated address automatically.

Method 2: Using VBA Script in Outlook Desktop

If you prefer a more customized, behind-the-scenes solution, using a VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) script can be effective. This allows you to programmatically inject your email address into the CC field of sent messages.

Note: Using VBA requires a bit more technical skill and access to the Developer environment in Outlook.

Enable Macros and Access the Developer Tab

  1. Go to File → Options → Customize Ribbon.
  2. Check Developer in the right pane and click OK.
  3. Click on the new Developer tab, then go to Visual Basic.

Insert the VBA Script

  1. In the Project panel, double-click ThisOutlookSession.
  2. Copy and paste the following script:
Private Sub Application_ItemSend(ByVal Item As Object, Cancel As Boolean)
    If Item.Class = olMail Then
        Dim myMail As Outlook.MailItem
        Set myMail = Item
        myMail.CC = myMail.CC & "yourEmail@example.com"
    End If
End Sub
  1. Replace yourEmail@example.com with your actual email address.
  2. Save your script and close the Visual Basic window.
  3. Restart Outlook.

You may need to allow signed macros or adjust macro security settings to permit the code to run. When properly configured, every email you send will include your address in the CC field without any further action required from you.

Method 3: Using Rules in Outlook Web (Outlook on the Web)

If you’re using Microsoft Outlook via your browser in Office 365, you can still create an automatic CC rule using built-in features.

How to Set It Up:

  1. Login to Outlook on the Web.
  2. Click on the gear icon (⚙️) in the upper-right corner, then select View all Outlook settings.
  3. Navigate to Mail > Rules.
  4. Click + Add new rule.
  5. Name your rule as desired (e.g., “Auto CC”).
  6. Under Add a condition, select Apply to all messages.
  7. Under Add an action, choose Forward to or Add Cc, then enter your email address.
  8. Click Save.

This setup will automatically copy your chosen address on all sent emails started from the web interface.

Concerns and Considerations

While automatically CC’ing yourself is useful, you should be aware of some potential drawbacks:

  • Inbox Clutter: You could experience inbox overload, especially if you send dozens of emails per day.
  • Confidentiality: Automatically copying sensitive information can raise compliance or privacy concerns, especially in regulated industries.
  • Server Overhead: In corporate environments, sending extra copies could have implications for email storage if implemented at scale.

Always consult your IT department if you are unsure about implementing such rules, particularly in a business or enterprise setup.

Best Practices

To make the most of this feature:

  • Use folders and rules to automatically categorize or archive these CC’ed messages for easy retrieval.
  • Combine with Outlook’s Quick Steps automation feature to streamline archiving.
  • Review periodically to ensure continued relevance to your workflows.

Conclusion

Automatically CC’ing yourself in Outlook is a practical way to ensure comprehensive record-keeping of your communications. Whether you’re using Outlook Desktop, scripting through VBA, or accessing Outlook via the web, there are reliable, secure methods to achieve this. The key is finding the approach that best fits your technical skill level and organization policies. By following this guide, you’ll maintain better control of your email correspondence and reduce the risk of losing track of sent messages. 

If you’re unsure which method to use, we recommend starting with the basic rule setup in your version of Outlook — it’s user-friendly, non-invasive, and effective for most users.