How to Get Email Headers: A Step-by-Step Guide

Email headers reveal the behind-the-scenes details of your message, showing how it travelled from the sender to your inbox. 

If you ever need to check why an email bounced, ended up in spam, or looks suspicious, viewing the full email header can help you or 1-grid Support quickly identify the issue. 

This guide walks you through what email headers are, why they matter, and how to view them across different mail clients. 

What Is an Email Header? 

An email header is a section of data that comes with every email message. 

It contains technical details such as: 

• The sender and recipient addresses 
• The date and time it was sent 
• The servers it passed through 
• Authentication results (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) 

Think of it as your email’s tracking record, showing where the message came from, where it went, and how it got there. 

Why Is Viewing Email Headers Important? 

Viewing headers helps you: 

• Trace Message Paths helps to identify where the email came from and which servers handled it. 
• Check Authenticity helps to confirm that an email really came from the domain it claims. 
• Spot Spoofing or Phishing helps to detect fake or suspicious senders before you click any links. 
• Troubleshoot Issues – helps you, and 1-grid Support to pinpoint why an email bounced or landed in spam. 

TIP: Including a full email header when you log a support ticket helps our team resolve delivery issues faster. 

Full Email Headers vs. Partial Email Headers 

Type	Description	When to Use
Full Headers	When reviewing an email casually or identifying the sender information.	When troubleshooting, verifying sender identity, or investigating delivery problems.
Partial Headers	Only includes basic details like “From,” “To,” and “Subject.”	When reviewing an email casually or identifying the sender’s information.

Email Header Example 

Return-Path: <support@domain.com> 

Received: from mail.domain.com (mail.domain.com [123.45.67.89]) 

    by mx.google.com with ESMTPS id 12345 

    for <you@youremail.com>; 

    Tue, 8 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0200 

Authentication-Results: spf=pass; dkim=pass; dmarc=pass 

From: 1-grid Support <support@domain.com> 

To: You <you@youremail.com> 

Subject: Welcome to 1-grid! 

Date: Tue, 8 Oct 2025 11:59:00 +0200 

Here’s what this tells us: 

• Email passed SPF, DKIM, and DMARC (trusted sender). 
• It was securely sent through verified servers. 
• The “Received” lines show its route to your inbox. 

IMPORTANT: If any of these authentication checks fail, the email might be spoofed or compromised. 

How to View Email Headers in Popular Email Clients 

IMPORTANT: Steps may vary slightly based on version or updates, so we recommend that you always check your mail client’s official Support Page for the latest information, especially if you get stuck! 

AOL Mail 

1. Open the email. 
2. Click More → View Message Source. 
3. The full header opens in a new window.

For more information, you can check out AOL Mail Help. 

Gmail (Web & App) 

1. Open the email. 
2. Click the ⋮ (three dots) in the top-right corner. 
3. Select Show Original. 
4. Copy the header information displayed. 

For more information, you can check out Gmail Help. 

Hotmail / Outlook.com 

1. Open the email. 
2. Click the ⋯ (More actions) menu. 
3. Select View Message Source. 

For more information, you can check out Outlook.com Support. 

Mail for macOS 

1. Open the email. 
2. In the menu bar, click View → Message → All Headers. 
3. For full headers, choose Raw Source. 

For more information, you can check out Apple Mail Help. 

Netscape & Mozilla (All Versions) 

1. Open the email. 
2. Click View → Headers → All. 

Mozilla 1.5 and Later 

1. Select the message. 
2. Click View Source to display the full header. 

Mozilla 1.4 and Earlier 

1. Open the email. 
2. Click View → Show All Headers. 

Outlook 365 (Desktop) 

1. Open the email. 
2. Click File → Properties. 
3. The full header appears in the Internet Headers box. 

For more information, you can check out the Outlook 365 Header Guide.

Outlook Express 

1. Open the message. 
2. Click File → Properties → Details → Message Source. 

RoundCube Webmail 

1. Open the email. 
2. Click More → Show Source. 
3. Copy the displayed header. 

Thunderbird 

1. Select the email. 
2. Click View → Headers → All. 
3. To view source code, press Ctrl + U (Windows) or Command + U (Mac). 

For more information, you can check out Thunderbird Support. 

When to Use Email Headers 

• To check why an email bounced or was delayed. 
• To confirm whether an email was sent through MailChannels or another relay. 
• To identify spoofed senders or phishing attempts. 
• To assist support agents in resolving email routing problems faster. 

Free Tools to Help You Analyse Your Email Headers 

• DNSChecker.org Email Header Analyser – Trace Email Address Source  
• MxToolbox Email Header Analyser  
• Toolbox Google Apps Messageheader 
• Sendmarc Email Header Analysis Tool 

When to Send Headers to 1-grid Support 

Send full email headers to our Support team if you’re: 

• Experiencing bounce-back errors or spam issues after troubleshooting. 
• Receiving spoofed or suspicious emails. 
• Having mail delivery delays. 

 Copy and paste the full email header into your support ticket, along with: 

• The subject line 
• The sender and recipient addresses 
• The approximate date and time sent 

TIP: This helps 1-grid Support resolve your issue faster. 

FAQs 

Why do I need to send full email headers to support?

They help us see the exact delivery path and pinpoint the cause of a mail issue. 

Will viewing headers change or damage my email? 

No, viewing headers is completely safe. It only displays information that’s already attached to your message.

Can I use headers to tell if an email is fake?

Yes, headers show whether SPF, DKIM, and DMARC passed or failed. Failed results are a red flag.

Are headers the same on every device?

The data is the same, but how it’s displayed varies depending on the mail client or device.

Additional Resources 

Understanding Email Headers and Why These Matter   
How to Trace an Email IP Address for Email Header Analysis
How to Avoid MailChannels Blocks   
MailChannels Error Codes and How to Fix Them  
Resolving a MailChannels Spam Block “550 5.7.1” Error  
MailChannels FAQs 
Everything You Need to Know About Domain Name Systems (DNS)  
Updating My Password FAQs  
Top 10 Common Email Issues and How to Resolve Them  
Setting Up Email in Outlook via Windows Control Panel  
How to Set Up Email on Android for Your 1-grid Email Accounts  
Settings to Configure Your 1-grid Email Accounts Across Devices   
Resolving Email Error Messages When Sending to Gmail Accounts  
What is IP Blacklisting? 
How Do I Check if My IP is Blacklisted?  
SpamTitan: How to Blacklist an Email Address or Domain 
What Is Email Spoofing? How It Works and How to Protect Yourself   
How to Spot a Scam Email  
Email Headers FAQs 
Email FAQs 
How to Enable DKIM and SPF on Your Mail Domain  
Why SSL? The Purpose of Using SSL Certificates  
What is a Domain Name Server (DNS)? 
How to Update Your Domain’s Nameservers at 1-grid   
SpamTitan FAQs 

Need Additional Support? 

We’re Here to Help: 

Getting email headers doesn’t have to feel like a technical challenge with this easy-to-understand guide. Stuck? Contact our Support Team for clarity and guidance (https://1grid.co.za/contact-us/). We’re ready to see how we can help!