{"id":18056,"date":"2021-09-11T13:31:49","date_gmt":"2021-09-11T13:31:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostinger.com\/tutorials\/?p=18056"},"modified":"2026-03-09T19:19:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T19:19:07","slug":"email-headers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/ng\/tutorials\/email-headers","title":{"rendered":"Email header: what is it + examples"},"content":{"rendered":"

Becoming familiar with email headers helps with launching email campaigns and checking the authentication results before clicking on links in a message helps to avoid phishing attacks.<\/p>

Email headers help to know what email security to include to prevent messages from going to the spam folder by doing test emails and checking their headers.<\/p>

The steps to view an email header are more or less the same with all mail providers. However, there are some differences in the initial step. So, we will show how to view an email header using Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, iCloud Mail, Zoho Mail, and AOL.<\/p>

Furthermore, the email providers show various metadata in an email header. This article will explain metadata definitions and the benefits of understanding them.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>

What Is an Email Header?<\/h2>

An email header is a code snippet that consists of essential details to authenticate an email message. It precedes the email body and also contains information about the sender and recipient.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>

An email header is more than the to<\/strong>, from<\/strong>, date<\/strong>, and subject<\/strong> section that precedes an email body. Headers also play an essential role in recording an email’s route since every email message has an email header.<\/p>

When an email is sent from one address to another, the message will go through mail transfer agents (MTA). So, email headers will show If the email was sent to other addresses before reaching the final destination. If the header information looks suspicious, users can avoid engaging with the email.<\/p>

Headers use metadata <\/strong>to provide information about the transmission process.<\/p>

\"Header<\/a><\/figure><\/div>

How to View an Email Header<\/h2>

The steps to view an email header depend on the provider. Gmail<\/strong>, Microsoft<\/strong> Outlook<\/strong>, Mozilla Thunderbird<\/strong>, iCloud Mail<\/strong>, Zoho Mail<\/strong>, AOL<\/strong>, and <\/strong>Hostinger webmail<\/a> users have their own ways to view a header<\/a>. While some show the entire raw message, others display the header separately from the rest of the HTML code.<\/p>

Important!<\/strong> Before the next section, make sure to open an email from the recipient’s inbox.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/p>

View an Email Header on Gmail<\/h3>

Gmail’s automated machine learning has done a great job with removing spam from an inbox. However, 1 in every 1,000<\/a> spam messages can still be found in a user’s inbox. The good news is, Gmail users<\/a>’ email headers will show how secure a message is.<\/p>

Below are the steps to view an email header on Google apps:<\/p>

    \n
  1. Next to the reply button, click on the vertical three-dotted <\/strong>icon.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Select Show original,<\/strong> and you’ll be directed to the overview of the contained information. <\/li>\n<\/ol>
    \"Gmail,<\/a><\/figure>
      \n
    1. Gmail users can press on the Download Original<\/strong> button to get the header or click on the Copy to clipboard<\/strong> button right away.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
      \"Gmail<\/a><\/figure>

      View an Email Header on Microsoft Outlook<\/h3>

      Microsoft accounts are the most popular target for phishing, accounting for 43%<\/a> of all phishing attempts. To avoid that, learning how to view an email header is essential for Microsoft Outlook<\/a> users.<\/p>

      Different versions might have slightly different steps. However, the primary purpose is still to view the HTML source. Follow the steps below to view your internet headers using the most recent version, Office 365<\/strong>:<\/p>

        \n
      1. Click on the three dots<\/strong> menu on the top right of the message.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Click View -> View message source<\/strong>, which will show a new window. Users will have to scroll down first to find the email header.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
        \"Outlook,<\/a><\/figure>

        View an Email Header on Mozilla Thunderbird<\/h3>

        Accessing email headers using the Mozilla Thunderbird<\/a> application is simple. Open Mozilla Thunderbird<\/strong> and double-click on the message of your choosing. Once it opens a new message tab, follow these steps:<\/p>

          \n
        1. On the top right of the new tab, click on the three lines<\/strong> icon.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. Click on View -> Headers<\/strong> to see the full header of the message. <\/li>\n<\/ol>
          \"Mozilla<\/a><\/figure>
            \n
          1. Select All<\/strong>, and you will see the internet header on top of the email.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
            \"Mozilla<\/a><\/figure>

            Alternatively, you can also simply press Ctrl + U<\/strong> on your keyboard after opening the email. However, it will show much more information than the full header, which might be confusing.<\/p>

            View an Email Header on iCloud Mail<\/h3>

            For iCloud Mail <\/strong>users using a browser, click on the gear <\/strong>icon and select Show Long Headers<\/strong>. However, if you are accessing iCloud Mail using the Mac Mail application<\/a>, follow these instructions:<\/p>

              \n
            1. Select the message you would like to see in the full email header and click on View<\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ol>
              \"iCloud,<\/a><\/figure>
                \n
              1. Select Message -> Raw Source<\/strong> to find the email header. <\/li>\n<\/ol>
                \"iCloud,<\/a><\/figure>

                View an Email Header on Zoho Mail<\/h3>

                Zoho Mail is especially popular among business owners with high-traffic sites<\/a>. The steps are more or less the same to other email clients using Zoho Mail<\/a>:<\/p>

                  \n
                1. Select a message and click on the drop-down menu icon, and select Show original<\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ol>
                  \"Zoho<\/a><\/figure>
                    \n
                  1. Like Google, Zoho Mail also has the Download full content<\/strong> and Copy to clipboard<\/strong> buttons to make these actions easier.<\/li>\n<\/ol>
                    \"Zoho<\/a><\/figure>

                    View an Email Header on AOL<\/h3>

                    For an AOL Mail account, there are two simple steps to view an email header:
                    <\/p>

                      \n
                    1. Above the subject line, click on the More<\/strong> button. <\/li>\n<\/ol>
                      \"Aol<\/a><\/figure>
                        \n
                      1. Choose View Message Source<\/strong>, and it will open a new window with the HTML code of the email. <\/li>\n<\/ol>
                        \"Aol<\/a><\/figure>

                        Understanding the Metadata<\/h2>

                        The metadata gives further details about the path that a message went through. Understanding these header lines will help protect your emails better.<\/p>

                        \n Warning!<\/strong> Keep in mind that most of this metadata is forgeable. We recommend reading the header carefully every time to check for suspicious information. <\/p>\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>

                        Every email header is different, and some metadata is optional. Here are some of the metadata tags you should know:<\/p>