Built For Designers & Developers

Email: View email message headers

Email headers provide extra details about the message, server information, and client details.

Here is an example of a email header:

Return-path: <[email protected]>
Envelope-to: [email protected]
Delivery-date: Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:34:32 -0500
Received: from localhost.localdomain ([127.0.0.1] helo=s1-dallas.accountservergroup.com)
	by s1-dallas.accountservergroup.com with esmtpa (Exim 4.69)
	(envelope-from <[email protected]>)
	id 1T3rPU-0006JO-Ci
	for [email protected]; Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:34:32 -0500
Received: from 76.120.233.238 ([76.120.233.238])
        (SquirrelMail authenticated user [email protected])
        by s1-dallas.accountservergroup.com with HTTP;
        Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:34:32 -0500
Message-ID: <8e164fad8fa7b35f14bbf4f42e95d7ea.squirrel@s1-dallas.accountservergroup.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:34:32 -0500
Subject: Headers
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
User-Agent: SquirrelMail/1.4.22
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
X-Priority: 3 (Normal)
Importance: Normal

This is a test email so you can see how headers work.

In day to day life, you would never need to know this extra data, but if you are having issues with email, this information could be helpful to debug the problem. You may be asked to provide a copy of an email header by a Site5 Support Specialist.

Retrieving a copy of email headers is different from mail client to mail client. Please click on the mail client you use for client specific instructions.

• Microsoft Outlook
• Mac Mail
• Mozilla Thunderbird
• Gmail
• Horde
• RoundCube
• SquirrelMail

Microsoft Outlook

This demo assumes that you are already have Outlook open.

Note: This demonstration is using Outlook 2010. Other versions may vary.

1) Open the message you wish to see the headers of by double clicking it.

2) Click the File menu

3) Click the Properties button

That’s it! You can now see the full headers for the email you selected in step 1.

Mac Mail

This demo assumes that you are already have Mac Mail open.

1) Click the email you wish to view the headers of

2) Click View -> Message -> Headers

That’s it! You can now see the full headers for the email you selected.

Mozilla Thunderbird

This demo assumes that you are already have Mozilla Thunderbird open.

1) Single click the email you wish to see the headers of

2) Click View

3) Then click Message Source

That’s it! You can now see the full headers for the email you selected.

Gmail

This demo assumes you are logged into your GMail account.

1) Open the email you wish to view the headers of

2) Click the down arrow next to the reply button to bring up the options menu

3) Then click show original

That’s it! You can now see the full headers for the email you selected.

Horde

1)Log into Horde Webmail

2) Open the email message

3) Click the “Message Source” link in the text menu at the top of the message.

RoundCube

This demo assumes that you are already logged into RoundCube

1) Open the message you wish to see the headers of by double clicking it.

2) Click the arrow down to reveal the email headers.

That’s it! You can now see the full headers for the email you selected in step 1.

SquirrelMail

This demo assumes that you are already logged into SquirrelMail.

1) Open the message you wish to see the headers of by clicking the subject

2) Click the View Full Header link under the options section

That’s it! You can now see the full headers for the email you selected in step 1.