Email headers and source code are important pieces of information that can be useful when troubleshooting unexpected behavior with your emails. In this article, we'll explain what email headers and source code are, and show you how to find them in some of the most popular email clients.
Before You Begin
What are email headers?
Email headers are hidden pieces of information that contain important details about the sender, recipient, subject line, and routing of an email. These headers are not usually visible in your inbox, but they can be viewed by your email client or by someone with the technical expertise to access them.
Email headers can be very helpful in identifying the source of an email, detecting spam or phishing attempts, and troubleshooting issues with email delivery.
What is email source code?
Email source code is the underlying HTML and CSS code that is used to create the email you see in your inbox. This code contains information about the formatting, images, links, and other elements of the email. Email source code can be useful when troubleshooting issues with the formatting or appearance of an email, or when trying to diagnose issues with embedded links or images.
How to find email headers and source code
Now that you know what email headers and source code are, here's how to find them in some popular email clients:
Instructions for finding email headers:
- Open the email you want to view the headers for.
- Select the File tab at the top of the screen.
- Select Properties in the drop-down menu.
The internet headers will be displayed in the Internet headers section of the pop-up window.
Instructions for finding email headers and source code:
- Open the email you want to view the headers for.
- Select the three dots at the top right corner of the email.
- Select Show original in the drop-down menu.
The email headers and source code will be displayed in a new window.
Instructions for finding email headers and source code:
- Open the email you want to view the headers for.
- Select the three dots at the bottom right corner of the email.
- Select View raw message in the drop-down menu.
The email headers and source code will be displayed in a new window.
Instructions for finding email headers and source code:
- Open the email you want to view the headers for.
- Select the View menu in the top menu bar.
- Select Message in the drop-down menu.
- Select Raw Source in the sub-menu.
The email headers and source code will be displayed in a new window.