Email Header
When it comes to an email, you are probably most familiar with the body of the email — where all the important information is, right?
But before you even get to the meat of the email there is something that you will encounter first. The email header.
The email header acts as the gatekeeper to the email and actually helps you understand, organize, and navigate your crowded inbox.
An email has three key elements — the header, body, and footer. This post will dive into everything about the email header so that you can get your emails started off on the right foot.
What is an Email Header
The “email header” refers to the section at the beginning of an email message that contains essential information such as the sender, recipient, sending time, and subject line.
It also includes technical details that track the email's journey across the internet while helping with email management and security. It's a treasure trove of metadata, which, if you know how to look, can reveal insights into the email's journey from sender to receiver.
What is included in the Email Header
The email header includes many often overlooked but crucial elements of your email including:
From: The email address of the sender.
To: The email address(es) of the recipient(s).
Date and Time: When the email was sent.
Subject: A brief summary of the email's content meant to grab attention.
Preview Text: What a recipient sees immediately following the subject line. Test different short blurbs here to see which ones grab your customer’s attention.
CC (Carbon Copy): Addresses of other recipients who are also receiving a copy of the email.
BCC (Blind Carbon Copy): Addresses of recipients who receive a copy of the email without their names being disclosed to other recipients.
Reply-To: An email address that indicates where replies should be sent. This can be the same or different than the From address.
Additionally, email headers contain more technical information such as:
Message-ID: A unique identifier assigned to each email for tracking and reference.
Received: A chronological list of all the servers/computers through which the email has passed, including timestamps.
Return-Path: The email address to which bounce messages are sent if the email cannot be delivered.
DKIM-Signature: An email authentication method that allows the receiver to check that an email claimed to have come from a specific domain was indeed authorized by the owner of that domain.
SPF (Sender Policy Framework): A validation system that verifies if the email has been sent from an authorized server to prevent email spoofing.
MIME-Version (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions): Specifies the format of the email, whether it's plain text, HTML, or contains attachments.
Content-Type: Indicates the media type of the email, such as text/plain or text/html, and the character set being used like UTF-8.
X-Headers: Custom headers used for various proprietary purposes by different email services.
User-Agent: The email client or software used to compose and send the email.
The email header can be a powerful tool for diagnosing issues with email delivery, identifying spam, and understanding more about where an email came from and how it was sent.
While the average recipient sees or is aware of a simplified version of the header in their emails, the full header can be viewed typically through an option to "view source" or "show original" within the email client's interface.
Why does the Email Header matter?
Email headers are important for several reasons. When they’re not busy hooking you into opening the email with a great subject line, they also play a role in your email’s security and management.
Troubleshooting: Email headers contain detailed information about the path an email has taken, which can be used to troubleshoot problems related to email delivery or routing issues.
Security and Spam Detection: Headers contain authentication information, such as SPF and DKIM records, which are used to verify the legitimacy of the sender.
Organization and Filtering: Email clients use headers to organize and display messages by subject, sender, date, and other criteria. Users can also set up filters based on this information to sort incoming mail into folders, highlight important messages, or direct junk mail to the spam folder.
Legal and Compliance: Headers can serve as evidence in legal cases, as they provide a record of communication.
Understanding email headers allows users and administrators to utilize email more effectively and safely.
Key takeaways
The email header refers to the section of an email message that contains essential information such as the sender, recipient, subject line, and more.
While often-overlooked, the email header is just as important (if not more important) than the body of the email itself.
Email headers also contain technical information that a typical email recipient or user will not notice or care about.
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When it comes to an email, you are probably most familiar with the body of the email — where all the important information is, right?
But before you even get to the meat of the email there is something that you will encounter first. The email header.
The email header acts as the gatekeeper to the email and actually helps you understand, organize, and navigate your crowded inbox.
An email has three key elements — the header, body, and footer. This post will dive into everything about the email header so that you can get your emails started off on the right foot.
What is an Email Header
The “email header” refers to the section at the beginning of an email message that contains essential information such as the sender, recipient, sending time, and subject line.
It also includes technical details that track the email's journey across the internet while helping with email management and security. It's a treasure trove of metadata, which, if you know how to look, can reveal insights into the email's journey from sender to receiver.
What is included in the Email Header
The email header includes many often overlooked but crucial elements of your email including:
From: The email address of the sender.
To: The email address(es) of the recipient(s).
Date and Time: When the email was sent.
Subject: A brief summary of the email's content meant to grab attention.
Preview Text: What a recipient sees immediately following the subject line. Test different short blurbs here to see which ones grab your customer’s attention.
CC (Carbon Copy): Addresses of other recipients who are also receiving a copy of the email.
BCC (Blind Carbon Copy): Addresses of recipients who receive a copy of the email without their names being disclosed to other recipients.
Reply-To: An email address that indicates where replies should be sent. This can be the same or different than the From address.
Additionally, email headers contain more technical information such as:
Message-ID: A unique identifier assigned to each email for tracking and reference.
Received: A chronological list of all the servers/computers through which the email has passed, including timestamps.
Return-Path: The email address to which bounce messages are sent if the email cannot be delivered.
DKIM-Signature: An email authentication method that allows the receiver to check that an email claimed to have come from a specific domain was indeed authorized by the owner of that domain.
SPF (Sender Policy Framework): A validation system that verifies if the email has been sent from an authorized server to prevent email spoofing.
MIME-Version (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions): Specifies the format of the email, whether it's plain text, HTML, or contains attachments.
Content-Type: Indicates the media type of the email, such as text/plain or text/html, and the character set being used like UTF-8.
X-Headers: Custom headers used for various proprietary purposes by different email services.
User-Agent: The email client or software used to compose and send the email.
The email header can be a powerful tool for diagnosing issues with email delivery, identifying spam, and understanding more about where an email came from and how it was sent.
While the average recipient sees or is aware of a simplified version of the header in their emails, the full header can be viewed typically through an option to "view source" or "show original" within the email client's interface.
Why does the Email Header matter?
Email headers are important for several reasons. When they’re not busy hooking you into opening the email with a great subject line, they also play a role in your email’s security and management.
Troubleshooting: Email headers contain detailed information about the path an email has taken, which can be used to troubleshoot problems related to email delivery or routing issues.
Security and Spam Detection: Headers contain authentication information, such as SPF and DKIM records, which are used to verify the legitimacy of the sender.
Organization and Filtering: Email clients use headers to organize and display messages by subject, sender, date, and other criteria. Users can also set up filters based on this information to sort incoming mail into folders, highlight important messages, or direct junk mail to the spam folder.
Legal and Compliance: Headers can serve as evidence in legal cases, as they provide a record of communication.
Understanding email headers allows users and administrators to utilize email more effectively and safely.
Key takeaways
The email header refers to the section of an email message that contains essential information such as the sender, recipient, subject line, and more.
While often-overlooked, the email header is just as important (if not more important) than the body of the email itself.
Email headers also contain technical information that a typical email recipient or user will not notice or care about.