In a process for the processing of color photographic silver halide material which has been exposed to form an image by development, bleachfixing, washing or stabilization and drying, the aqueous developer solution being free from benzyl alcohol, the pH value of the bleachfixing solution, which contains an iron(III) complex salt, being below 7 and the bleachfixing solution containing a compound corresponding to general formula (I) ##STR1## in which Z represents the atoms required to complete an optionally further substituted heterocyclic ring andR.sup.1 represents hydrogen or an alkali atom,and a coupler containing an activated methylene group, in which a hydrogen atom is replaced by alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl or aralkyl and reacts with the oxidation product of the color developer to form colorless reaction products, bleaching can be carried out free from residual silver with a low regeneration level of the bleachfixing bath without any water-insoluble precipitates being formed.