Decoding Email Mysteries: A Guide to Reading and Analyzing Email Headers

Email communication is a cornerstone of modern life, but sometimes things go wrong. Emails get lost, delayed, or misidentified as spam. When troubleshooting these issues, understanding email headers can be invaluable. This article will guide you through the process of retrieving and analyzing email headers using readily available tools.

Why Analyze Email Headers?

Email headers contain a wealth of technical information about an email's journey from sender to recipient. This data can help you:

• Trace the email's path: Identify each server the email passed through.
• Pinpoint delivery issues: Determine where delays or failures occurred.
• Verify sender authenticity: Check for signs of spoofing or phishing.
• Troubleshoot spam filtering: Understand why an email landed in the spam folder.

How to Retrieve Email Headers

The method for retrieving email headers varies depending on your email client:

Outlook

1. Open the email message.
2. Go to File > Properties.
3. Find the Internet Headers section.
4. Copy the entire content of this field.

For more detailed instructions, refer to Microsoft's official documentation on viewing internet message headers in Outlook.

Gmail

1. Open the email message.
2. Click the three vertical dots (More options) next to the reply button.
3. Select Show original.
4. The full headers will be displayed. Copy the entire content.

Always refer to Google's official help documentation for the most up-to-date instructions, as the interface may change.

Free Email Header Analyzer Tools

Once you have the email header, you'll need a tool to parse and interpret the data. Here are some popular options:

Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer

The Microsoft Remote Connectivity Analyzer offers a dedicated Message Analyzer tool. Simply paste the email header into the provided field and click Analyze headers. The tool generates a detailed report breaking down the header information.

MXToolbox

MXToolbox provides a comprehensive suite of tools for email and network diagnostics. Its Analyze Headers feature allows you to paste the email header and receive a graphical report highlighting key information. It's a great tool for quick analysis and identifying potential issues.

Google Admin Toolbox Messageheader

The Google Admin Toolbox Messageheader is another excellent option, especially if you're dealing with Gmail or Google Workspace related email issues. It offers similar functionality to the other tools, providing a clean and easy-to-understand analysis of the email header.

Understanding Key Header Fields

While analyzer tools simplify the process, understanding some key header fields can further enhance your troubleshooting skills. Here are a few important ones:

• Received: This field is the most crucial, as it shows the path the email took, listing each server it passed through. Analyze these in reverse order (bottom to top) to trace the email's journey.
• From: Indicates the sender's email address. However, this can be easily spoofed, so don't rely on it solely for verification.
• Reply-To: Specifies an alternative email address where replies should be sent.
• Return-Path: Shows where bounce messages should be sent.
• Message-ID: A unique identifier for the email message.
• Authentication-Results: Provides information about the email's authentication status, such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These help verify the sender's legitimacy

Conclusion

Analyzing email headers might seem daunting at first, but with the right tools and a basic understanding of key fields, you can gain valuable insights into email delivery issues. Whether you're troubleshooting spam problems or verifying sender authenticity, email header analysis is a powerful skill for anyone who relies on email communication. Tools by Proofpoint Essentials offer comprehensive email security solutions.