Message Header Analysis Basics

Curious about what’s hiding in the header of an email? 🤔 Analyzing email message headers can help you to gain a better understanding of the journey an email has taken, as well as the authenticity of the message and its sender. One way to do this is by using a message analyzer tool, which can extract and organize the information contained within the header.

Here are a few steps to follow:

1. Obtain the message header: To begin, you’ll need to obtain the message header from the email you want to analyze. The header can usually be found by opening the email and selecting “View message source” or “View message headers.”
2. Use a message analyzer: Once you have the message header, you can use a message analyzer tool to extract and organize the information. There are many free message analyzer tools available online, and they can provide valuable insight into the email’s journey and its authenticity.
3. Review sender and recipient information: The first thing to look for is the sender and recipient information. The analyzer tool should display the sender and recipient email addresses, as well as any associated names or domains.
4. Check the email servers: The analyzer tool may show the names and IP addresses of the email servers that processed the message. This information can help to identify any suspicious activity, such as a spoofed email address or a compromised email server.
5. Look for delivery status information: The analyzer tool may indicate whether the message was delivered successfully, bounced back, or was delayed. This can help to identify potential issues with the email delivery process.
6. Review security and authentication details: The analyzer tool may display information about SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication, as well as any encryption methods used. This information can help to verify the authenticity of the email and its sender.
7. Examine other relevant header fields: Depending on the analyzer tool, there may be additional header fields displayed, such as the subject line, date, and message ID. These fields can provide additional context and insight into the email’s journey and its authenticity.

With these steps, you can uncover valuable information about an email and its sender. 📧🔍