Knowledgebase
How to view email headers
An email message has a header and a body. The body is the content of the message and the header provides various information about the message (e.g. recipient, sender, date, SMTP servers through which the message has passed, etc.). Some header fields (e.g. To:, Subject:) are visible by default and can be configured by the writer of the message. Most fields are inserted automatically in the message and are not visible by default. They can be viewed by using the respective settings of the email client. The information provided by email headers can be useful in debugging email issues.
In this article we'll show you how to view the email header fields with some of the webmail and desktop email clients. For screenshots and some more details check out the tutorial on email headers and how to view them.
Roundcube
Roundcube is an open source application for managing your mail through a web browser. This is the application installed on HostKnox servers which means that HostKnox customers who want to manage their emails with a browser can do this with Roundcube.
To view the headers of an email message, either mark it in the message list/inbox by clicking on it once with the left mouse button or open its content by double-clicking on it, then click on the More button at the top and from the menu select Show source.
Google Mail/Gmail
Open the message and click on the small arrow that's next to the button for replying (on the right side of the content of the message). Then from the menu that appears select Show original.
Yahoo Mail
In the message list click with the right mouse button on the particular message and from the menu select View full header.
Hotmail
In the message list click with the right mouse button on the message and from the menu select View message source.
Mozilla Thunderbird
In the inbox/message list select the message by clicking on it once with the left mouse button, then click on the View button at the top of the window and in the menu click on Message Source.
Outlook 2002 and Outlook 2003
It's done in the same way in both versions. In the message list click with the right mouse button on the message and from the menu that appears select Options. At the bottom of the window that pops out there's a section a labeled Internet headers; it shows the email header fields of the message.
Outlook 2007
In the message list click with the right mouse button on the email message, from the menu select Message options and in the window that pops you'll see the headers in the text area Internet headers.
Outlook 2010
Open the content of the message in a new window by double clicking on the message in the message list. Click on the Files button that's at the top of that window. On the following page click on the Properties button and the window that opens will display the headers in the section labeled Internet headers.
Outlook Express and Windows Live Mail
It's done in the same way in both email clients. In the message list click with the right mouse button on the message and from the menu that appears select Properties. The window that pops out has a tab Details at the top; click on it to view the headers.
Opera Mail
Open the content of the message and click with the right mouse button either on the From: or on the To: address that's above the content. In the menu that appears select View All Headers and Message. To hide the headers, repeat the same thing.
SeaMonkey
In the inbox select the message by clicking on it once with the left mouse button. Then go to View top menu>Message Source.
Zimbra Desktop
In the message list click with the right mouse button on the message and select Show original.
For descriptions of some of the email header fields and for screenshots of the settings of the different email clients check out the tutorial on email headers.