Quite simply, an email header is a short list of information that is appended to the top of an email message when it is sent to its destination.
This information is really only useful to the computers which the email passes through while it is being transferred via the Internet, as it is predominantly used for routing purposes only, i.e. instructing where the email has come from and where it is being sent to. Hence, an email header is usually hidden from view in an email message and you will not notice it as being part of the message.
The header information in an email only becomes useful to you when you wish to find out the real source of spam email which is also commonly known as "junk mail". The people who send spam email, usually part of an organization, forge the header information of the emails which they send in order to avoid getting caught and bypass email filters on the Internet, which are in place to try to help prevent unsolicited emails from ever reaching a person's mail inbox.
Although spammers are able to forge a lot of the information contained within an email header, there are certain pieces of information that are particularly difficult for them to forge. For example, the "Received" portion which references your computer - the last computer to receive the email - cannot be easily faked. It is for this reason that it is sometimes possible to determine the real source of spam email.
The most common reason why people wish to view the header information in an email message is because they want to trace the real source of unsolicited email so that they can report the spammers in an attempt to prevent receiving further emails from them in the future. Other reasons include either wanting to verify the authenticity of the sender/origin of the email or determining how and where the email message has been routed across the Internet.
ActivatorMail adds Message Tags to headers to reveal more information about the origin of the email. This makes it easier to track down spammers and mail abusers.
View Sample ActivatorMail Headers
To view hidden email headers follow these instructions for your email client program:
Claris emailer :
Under
Mail, select
Show Long Headers.
Eudora (before version 3) :
Select
Tools, then
Options..., then
Fonts & Display, then
Show all headers.
Eudora (version 3.x, 4.x IBM or Macintosh) :
Press the
BLAH button on the incoming mail message.
Mac Eudora 4.x :
Hitting the following will cause Eudora to alter its default setting so that
BLAH will be automatically selected for all new email received after this switch is set:
x-eudora-setting:123=y
When checked, Eudora will show all the headers from messages, not just an abbreviated set.
Lotus Notes 4.6.x
From the menu bar, select Actions, then Delivery Information.
Copy the information from the bottom box into your email report at the top of the spam.
Lotus Notes R5
From the menu bar, select Actions, then Tools, then Delivery Information.
Copy the information from the bottom box into your email report at the top of the spam.
Microsoft Outlook
Double click on the email in your inbox. This will bring the message into a new separate window.
Click on View, then Options.
You can also open a message and choose File, then Properties, then Details.
Microsoft Outlook Express
Press Alt + Enter, or Alt + F then R.
Alternatively, to look for, copy and send headers:
- Press CTRL + F3
- Press CTRL + A
- Press CTRL + C
- Press Alt + F4 (At this point the message is already copied)
Open a new message. Right click and paste, or select Edit and Paste
Netscape 3
In the Netscape Mail window, click View, then Document Source.
Netscape 4.xx
Double click on the email in your inbox. Click on View, then Headers, then All.
Pegasus Mail
To view the full headers for each message, use CTRL + H.
This will show the full headers for the particular message, but will not add them to any reply or forward. You will need to cut/paste the message into the reply/forward to send these headers.
PINE
You have to turn on the header option in setup, then just hit "h" to get headers.
Hotmail
To expose the full message header, click "Options" on the Hotmail Navigation Bar on the left side of the page. On the Options page, click "Preferences". Scroll down to "Message Headers" and select "Full".
Yahoo! Mail
- Log into your Yahoo! Mail account.
- Click the "Options" link on the left-hand navigation bar.
- Click the "Mail Preferences" link on the right.
- Locate the Show Headers heading and select "All".
- Click the "Save" button to put your new settings into effect.
Please note: Programs that do not comply with any Internet standards throw away the email headers. Examples of this include cc-Mail, Beyond Mail and VAX VMS. Therefore, you will not be able to get the header information from email messages using these programs.
