How can I read the header of a message?

The message header of an email contains all the technical details of an email that enable you to precisely analyze problems with delivery. It contains important information such as the sender of the message, the mail software used or the mail servers that were used to send the message to the target server.

How can I read the header from a message?

AOL Email

Please open the relevant message and click on Details in the upper area (at the top of "To:" / "From:") to display the header. You can simply copy and paste the information that is now displayed into a text file.

Apple Mail

Highlight the desired message and go to Appearance in the menu. There you can find the item Email and below it the option All headers. You will now see the detailed header information in the message preview.

Compuserve

The complete message header is added at the end of each received message by default. Please copy the message header into a text file.

Eudora Pro

Please open the relevant message and click on BLAH BLAH BLAH in the toolbar. After clicking on the button you will see the complete message header. You can simply copy and paste the displayed information into a text file or click Forward and the headers will be automatically added to the new message. You can now simply forward the message or copy the content to a text file.

ELM

Please open the appropriate message and execute the command H. Now the headlines are displayed. Please copy the content into a text file.

Excite Webmail

Please open the relevant message and select the option Save to disk. After opening the saved file with the Windows Editor you can view the message header.

Free agent/agent

Please click on Message and then on Show full message header. Then go to the relevant message and click on copy and paste the content into a text file in the message window.

Gmail

Please open the relevant message and click on the three-point menu next to Reply. Select Show original and copy the content to a text file.

Hotmail

Please open the relevant message and go to the options. Now click on Settings and scroll down to the message headers. Select Advanced Message Headers and copy the content to a text file.

Juno Version 4+

Select Options > Email options (CTRL + E). Select the full version under Show message header and click Ok to save the setting. Juno Version 4+ provides the ability to display MIME and HTML messages, but does not provide the ability to view the source of the message directly within the program. In order to view the full source code of a message, click File > Save Message as Text File (CTRL + T) within the Juno mail client.

Lotus Notes / IBM Notes

If you are using Notes 6.X, please open the respective e-mail and select the option View/Show Page source. Via File > Export you can save the message header in a file on your hard disk. Please enter a file name, leave the type as Structured text and click Export. In the dialog box, select the option Selected Documents and click Ok. If you now open the saved file in a text editor, you will see the message header.

If you are using Notes 5.X, please open the inbox and select the message. Via File > Export you can save the message header to a file on your hard disk. Enter a file name, leave the type as Structured text and click Export. In the dialog box, select the option Selected Documents and click Ok. If you now open the saved file in a text editor, you will see the message header.

Lotus Notes 4.6 (Win 9x client)

Please open the properties of the respective message (first smart symbol on the left side or right click on the document and select Properties from the menu). Select the second tab in the property field, which contains a list of fields and their contents. Scroll down until the field $additionalheaders is displayed. Select the content and press CTRL + C to copy the content to the clipboard. Now open a text file and press CTRL + V to copy the content to the text file.

mailx

You can exit your current mail program without changing the mailbox and then open the respective message with mail or mailx. If you display the message with the print command or P, the complete message header is displayed. Note the capital P here! The complete message header can be saved with the command saveretrain (on some systems this can also be done with Save or S).

Microsoft Exchange

Please open the relevant message, click on File and now select Properties. In the field Internet headers the message header is displayed. Simply copy it and add the content to a text file.

Microsoft Internet News

Please open the relevant message, click on File and select Properties. In the tab Details you will see the message header, which you can simply copy to a text file.

Microsoft Outlook for Office 365, Outlook 2019, Outlook 2016, Outlook 2013, Outlook 2010, Outlook 2007

Please open the respective message, click on File and now select Properties. In the field Internet Headers the message header is displayed. Simply copy it and add the content to a text file.

Microsoft Live Mail / Hotmail

Please open the relevant message and go to the options. Now click on Settings and scroll down to the message headers. Select Advanced Message Headers and copy the content to a text file.

Mozilla Thunderbird

Please open the relevant message and select Source code under More. Copy the content to a text file.

Netscape Messenger

Please open the message in question and then press CTRL + U. A new window will now open in which the complete message and the corresponding header will be displayed. First select the content you want to copy. In order to do this press CTRL + A on your keyboard and then CTRL + C to copy the content. Now open the text editor and paste the already copied content into the text file with CTRL + V.

Newswatcher

Please select File and then click on Preferences. Here you can now activate the checkbox Show Article Headers.

Opera Mail

Open the relevant message, right-click inside the message and select the option Show complete message header and message. Copy the content to a text file.

Pegasus

Open the relevant message and then press CTRL + H. You will now receive the complete header lines. Copy the content to a text file.

Pine/Alpine

On the website of the provider https://alpineapp.email/alpine/alpine-info/misc/headers.html#reading you can find a corresponding manual.

UNIX

Save the message in any directory and use the command  type or print the message to get the complete message header.

Web TV

Please open the respective e-mail and click on Forward on the side bar. Address the message to yourself and delete the content in the subject line. Now place the cursor on the first line in the text area of the message and press the Enter button (Return) twice on your keyboard. Your cursor should now have moved to the 3rd line of the text area. Now enter any "ALT" character (e.g. @) in this line. DO NOT PRESS RETURN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES! Select only the text area with CTRL + A, then cut it out with CTRL + X and paste it into the subject line of the message with CTRL + V. The "ALT" character should now "jump" into the text area of the message. Press Send and you will receive a message with the complete header lines.

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