How To Check Full E-Mail Headers and Find The Email Headers In a message

1. How to check full E-Mail Headers

Full email message headers provide invaluable information when trying to track down a problem. Just a few of the items included in the headers are:

• The server from which an incoming email originated
• The actual address from which the message was sent
• The message’s intended recipient
• Whether the message was accepted or rejected by the recipient’s mail server
• If the recipient’s mail server rejected the message, the reason for that rejection
• Any messages returned by the mail server.

Mac OS X Mail

• Open the message in its own window by double clicking on it in the list of messages.
• In the menu bar, click on View, then Message, then All Headers (or Raw Source on older versions of Mail).

Mozilla Thunderbird

• Open the message in its own window by double click on it in the list of messages.
• In the menu bar, select View, then Headers, and click over All.
• Alternatively, you may be able to click on View followed by Message Source.

Outlook 2016, 2013, and 2010

• Open the message in its own window by double clicking on it in the list of messages.
• Click over the File tab.
• In the File window, click over Properties.
• The Internet headers section contains the full email headers.

Windows Mail/Windows Live Mail

• In the list of messages, right-click on the message in question and choose Properties.
• In the Properties window, click on the Details tab.
• The headers will be displayed in the section labeled Internet headers for this message

Outlook.com Web Interface

• Right-click on the message while viewing it in your inbox.
• On the menu that appears, click on View Source.

Gmail Web Interface

• Open the message by clicking on it in the list of messages.
• Click on the More icon (the small downward-facing arrow next to the Reply button at the top right of the message).
• On the menu that appears, click on Show original.

Yahoo Mail Web Interface

• Open the message in question by clicking on it in the list of messages.
• Under the More menu above the message, click on the link marked View Full Header

Horde Webmail

• Open the message by clicking on it in the list of messages.
• Click on the link marked Show All Headers or, on newer versions of Horde, select View Source under Other Options in the preview pane. View Source also is available at the top-right of the full message view.

RoundCube Webmail

• Open the message by double-clicking on it in the list of messages.
• Click on the link marked Message Source. Newer versions of RoundCube have a downward-facing arrow that displays Toggle raw message headers when you move your mouse over it. The icon is at the bottom of the message header section, to the far right of the date field.

SquirrelMail Webmail

• Open the message by clicking on it in the list of messages.
• Click on the link marked View Full Header in the Options section at the top of the message.

2. How to find the email headers in a message

The email headers provide a detailed list about the message, such as sender, recipient, the email servers that it passed through, etc.

Depending on your email application there are different ways to find the email headers.

Below you can find the exact steps that you need to go through on some of the most popular email clients.

Webmail:

• Horde – Highlight the message and click on the “+” sign (Other options) above the message body. After that select View Source to see the full headers.
• RoundCube – Click on More button and select Show source.
• SquirrelMail – Open the message and go to View Full Header.

Microsoft Outlook 2010/2013/2016:

• Open the message and click on the File tab.
• Go to the Info tab and select Properties.
• The header information appears in the Internet headers box.

Mac Mail:

• Open the message and go to View.
• Select Message and the All headers option will be present.

Mozilla Thunderbird:

• Open the message.
• Go to More.
• Choose View Source.

Windows Live Mail, Windows Mail or Outlook Express:

• Select the message with the right mouse button.
• Under Properties go to Details.

Gmail:

• Open the message.
• Click the arrow pointing down next to Reply, at the top-right of the message.
• Select Show original.

Yahoo:

• Open your message.
• Under More select View Raw Message and the email headers will appear.