What are email headers?
Headers are all the letters, numbers and symbols that you see either at the top or bottom of emails you have received - if you can't see this information, check out the links below for instructions on how to show headers in your email program. Headers contain information such as the subject, recipient's name and email address, sender's name and email address, and information that can pinpoint the sender's location in the real world.
Pick your email program below for more detailed information on finding the headers in your email program:
Pick your email program below for more detailed information on finding the headers in your email program:
- Outlook 2000 - 2007
- Outlook 2010
- Windows Live Hotmail
- MSN Hotmail
- GMail
- Outlook Express 6
- Yahoo! Mail
- Yahoo! Mail Beta
- AOL webmail
- Mozilla Thunderbird
- Microsoft Entourage 2004 and 2008 (Mac OS)
Do you use a different program to read your email? Contact us and tell us which email program you use!
- Right-click on the email that you want to view the headers for
- Select "Message Options"
- A dialog box should be displayed, similar to the one below:
- Select the text in the "Internet Headers" box by placing your cursor in that box and pressing Control and 'A' on your keyboard. This will select all the text
- Press Control and 'C' on your keyboard to copy the text to your computer's clipboard.
- Open a new email, Word document or text file. You can then press Control and 'V' to paste the email headers into the new document that you have just created.
- Open your email Inbox
- Double-click on the email that you want to view the headers for. The message should open in a new window.
- In the new window, select the 'File' menu
-
Select the 'Properties' button
- A dialog box should be displayed, similar to the one below:
- Select the text in the "Internet Headers" box by placing your cursor in that box and pressing Control and 'A' on your keyboard. This will select all the text
- Press Control and 'C' on your keyboard to copy the text to your computer's clipboard.
- Open a new email, Word document or text file. You can then press Control and 'V' to paste the email headers into the new document that you have just created.
- Right-click on the email that you want to view headers for
- Select "View Source"
- The email headers will open in a new window
- You can save these headers by selecting 'Save' or 'Save as...' from the 'File' menu
- You can print these headers by selecting 'Print' from the 'File' menu
- Open your email inbox
- Select "Options" from the top-right of the screen
- From the left-hand side, select the "Mail" tab
- Select the "Mail Display Settings" option
- Under the "Message Headers" section, select the "Full" option:
- Go back to the email that you wish to view full headers for. The headers will be displayed before the start of the email.
- Open the email you wish to view full headers for
- Select the arrow next to "Reply" from the top-right of the message
- From the drop-down menu that appears, select the "Show Original" option:
- This will open a new page containing your email with full headers.
- This page can be printed or saved by selecting the appropriate option from the "File" menu
- Select the email that you wish to view full headers for
- Right-click on the message, and select "Properties"
- In the dialog box that appears, select the "Details" tab from the top:
- You will see the email's Full Headers displayed in the "Internet Headers" box. Select the text in the "Internet Headers" box by placing your cursor in that box and pressing Control and 'A' on your keyboard. This will select all the text
- Press Control and 'C' on your keyboard to copy the text to your computer's clipboard.
- Open a new email, Word document or text file. You can then press Control and 'V' to paste the email headers into the new document that you have just created.
- Open the email you wish to view full headers for
- Scroll to the bottom of the email, and select the text that says "Full Headers":
- The email's Full Headers will be displayed at the top of your email.
- Select the text in the "Internet Headers" box by highlighting the text with your cursor
- Press Control and 'C' on your keyboard to copy the text to your computer's clipboard.
- Open a new email, Word document or text file. You can then press Control and 'V' to paste the email headers into the new document that you have just created.
- Alternatively, you can print the whole email by selecting the "Print" option
- Open the email that you want to view headers for
- At the top-right of the email, select "Standard Header" (or similar), and a small menu should appear:
- Select the "Full Header" option as shown in the image above
- You will see the email's Full Headers displayed in the "Full Message Headers" box. Select the text in the "Internet Headers" box by placing your cursor in that box and pressing Control and 'A' on your keyboard. This will select all the text
- Press Control and 'C' on your keyboard to copy the text to your computer's clipboard.
- Open a new email, Word document or text file. You can then press Control and 'V' to paste the email headers into the new document that you have just created.
- Open the email that you want to view headers for
- Click on the "Action" menu, then select "View Message Source":
- A new window will open with the full code view of your email. Select the text here by placing your cursor in that box and pressing Control and 'A' on your keyboard.
- Press Control and 'C' on your keyboard to copy the text to your computer's clipboard.
- Open a new email, Word document or text file. You can then press Control and 'V' to paste the email headers into the new document that you have just created.
- the 'File' menu
- Alternatively, you can print out the full code view by selecting 'Print' from the 'File' menu
- Open the email that you want to view headers for
- From the "View" menu (at the top), go down to the "Headers" option and select "All":
- Your email will display with Full Headers
- In the main Entourage windows, open the email you want to view the headers for
- From the 'View' menu at the top, select 'Internet Headers'
- A dialog box should be displayed with the full headers of the email.
If you're having problem, try opening the email in a new window before you go to the 'View' menu.