Trace an email with its full header

You can check the full header of an email that you received from a Gmail account to know where it's from.

View and copy the full header of an email

Gmail

1. From a browser, open Gmail.
2. Open the email for which you want to check the headers.
3. Next to Reply , click More Show original.
   • In a new window, the full header is shown.
4. Click Copy to clipboard.

Other email services

AOL

1. Log in to your AOL account.
2. Open the email in which you want to see the headers.
3. In the 'Action' menu, select View message source.

The headers will appear in a new window.

Excite Webmail

1. Log in to your Excite account.
2. Open the email in which you want to see the headers.
3. Click View Full Headers.

The headers will appear in a new window.

Hotmail

1. Log in to your Hotmail account.
2. Click Inbox.
3. Right-click the email that you want to see the headers for.
4. Click View Message Source.

The headers will appear in a new window.

Yahoo Mail

1. Log in to your Yahoo! Mail account.
2. Select the email for which you want to see the headers.
3. Click More  View raw message.

The headers will appear in a new window.

Apple Mail

1. Open Apple Mail.
2. Open the email in which you want to see the headers.
3. Click View  Message  All Headers.

The headers will appear in the window below your inbox.

Mozilla

1. Open Mozilla.
2. Open the email in which you want to see the headers.
3. Click View   message source. 

The headers will appear in a new window.

Opera

1. Open Opera.
2. Click the email that you want to see the headers for so that it appears in the window below your inbox.
3. Right click the body of the email.
4. Click View all headers and message.

The headers will appear in the window below.

Outlook

1. Open Outlook.
2. Open the email in which you want to see the headers.
3. Click File  Properties.

The headers will appear in the 'Internet headers' box.

Outlook Express

1. Open Outlook Express.
2. Right-click the email that you want to see the headers for.
3. Click Properties.
4. Click the Details tab.

The headers will appear in the box that pops up.

Analyse an email header

1. On your computer, open Gmail.
2. Open the email that you want to analyse.
3. Next to Reply , click More Show original.
   • In a new window, the full header is shown.
4. Click Copy to clipboard.
5. Open Google Admin Toolbox Messageheader.
6. In the box, paste your header.
7. Click Analyse the header above.

Check if an email is delayed

1. On your computer, open Gmail.
2. Open the email that you want to check.
3. Next to Reply , click More   Show original.
   • In a new window, the full header is shown.
4. Next to 'Created at', check the delivery time.