Title: Field Syntax Errors: bcc   checkbox input
Last modified: September 1, 2016

---

# Field Syntax Errors: bcc checkbox input

 *  Resolved [ntufnel](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ntufnel/)
 * (@ntufnel)
 * [9 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/field-syntax-errors-bcc-checkbox-input/)
 * Hi there. Since upgrading to the new version of Contact Form (with the validator),
   I am getting a “This field has syntax errors” message on the Additional Headers
   field of several of my forms.
 * The common element is that each of these fields uses a bcc: header and also uses
   a checkbox to generate input for the bcc (so that the user can check multiple
   checkboxes on the form and the form will bcc itself to the email addresses in
   the checked checkboxes.
 * Here is an excerpt of the form:
 * `[checkbox bcc-email "First Address | addr1@test.com" "Second Address | addr2@test.
   com" "Third Address | addr3@test.com"]`
 * … and here is the header from the mail tab:
 * `Bcc: [bcc-email]`
 * The syntax error message goes away if I remove the variable substitution and 
   just hardcode an email address like:
    `Bcc: addr1@test.com`
 * Any ideas about what is wrong here? The emails still seem to process and send
   OK, just the validation message I am trying to get rid of.
 * [https://wordpress.org/plugins/contact-form-7/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/contact-form-7/)

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

 *  [barnez](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pidengmor/)
 * (@pidengmor)
 * [9 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/field-syntax-errors-bcc-checkbox-input/#post-7519374)
 * You need to make the checkbox required(*) in the FORM, otherwise you are asking
   the form to send a bcc which may not have a recipient sent.
 *     ```
       [checkbox* bcc-email "First Address | addr1@test.com" "Second Address | addr2@test.com" "Third Address | addr3@test.com"]
       ```
   
 *  Thread Starter [ntufnel](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ntufnel/)
 * (@ntufnel)
 * [9 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/field-syntax-errors-bcc-checkbox-input/#post-7519433)
 * That seems to do it — thanks TONS for the advice!!
 * Although, as a minor aside for the devs of Contact Form 7, this behavior does
   not meet the behavior of bcc outlined in RFC 2822, which basically states that
   the bcc field can be present, but can be devoid of valid email addresses — a 
   blank bcc is valid in an email header.
 * The following text is from the RFC:
 * > Finally, since a “Bcc:” field may contain no addresses, a “Bcc:” field can 
   > be sent without any addresses indicating to the recipients that blind copies
   > were sent to someone.
 * [Here’s a direct link – see sec 3.6.3](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2822)
 * Anyway, relatively minor issue — I’m on my way now. Thanks again for the help–
   it would have taken me a while to figure that out by myself.

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

The topic ‘Field Syntax Errors: bcc checkbox input’ is closed to new replies.

 * ![](https://ps.w.org/contact-form-7/assets/icon.svg?rev=2339255)
 * [Contact Form 7](https://wordpress.org/plugins/contact-form-7/)
 * [Frequently Asked Questions](https://wordpress.org/plugins/contact-form-7/#faq)
 * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/contact-form-7/)
 * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/contact-form-7/active/)
 * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/contact-form-7/unresolved/)
 * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/contact-form-7/reviews/)

## Tags

 * [bcc](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/bcc/)
 * [validation](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/validation/)

 * 2 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [ntufnel](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ntufnel/)
 * Last activity: [9 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/field-syntax-errors-bcc-checkbox-input/#post-7519433)
 * Status: resolved