Viewing Full Email Headers

This article contains instructions for:

If you aren't sure which email system you are on, please see All About Email at UO.

Webmail

  1. Log in to your email account.
  2. Open the email you would like full headers for.
  3. Click on the three dots More at the top of the page.
  4. Select Show source.
  5. Select all, then copy the contents of the window and click Close.
  6. Create a new email message.
  7. Enter the recipient's email address and a subject.
  8. Click in the message body and paste the selection.
  9. Send the message.

Exchange and UOmail

  1. Log in to your email account.
  2. Open the email you would like full headers for.
  3. Click on the three dots in the top right-hand corner of the message.
    • Or right-click on the message in the list of emails
  4. Select View and then View message details from the drop down options.
  5. Select all the content in the window (by using mouse click and scrolling down), then copy it to the clipboard (Ctrl-C or Cmd-C) and click Close.
  6. Create a new email message.
  7. Enter the recipient's email address and a subject.
  8. Click in the message body and paste the selection.
  9. Send the message.

Mail for macOS

  1. Open the email you would like full headers for.
  2. Click View in the tool bar at the top of the screen.
  3. Select Message then All Headers.
  4. Select all, then copy the contents of the window and click Close.
  5. Create a new email message.
  6. Enter the recipient's email address and a subject.
  7. Click in the message body and paste the selection.
  8. Send the message.

Outlook 2011 and 2016 for macOS

  1. Right-click on the message in your inbox and choose View Source. This will display the message's header information in a window.
  2. Select all, then copy the contents of the window and click Close.
  3. Create a new email message.
  4. Enter the recipient's email address and a subject.
  5. Click in the message body and paste the selection.
  6. Send the message.
Note: If you are using the New Outlook experience on macOS: View Source will not be available. Switching back to Old Outlook will bring it back as an option, or logging into the web client and following the Exchange and UOmail instructions will also work.

Outlook 2010, 2013, and 2016 for Windows

Set up Outlook so you have access to the command you need. You need to perform these steps only once.

  1. Click the Customize Quick Access Toolbar at the top left of the Outlook window
  2. Select More Commands
  3. Click the Choose Commands From menu and select All Commands
  4. Find Message Options in the list and click Add in the middle of the window
  5. Click OK; this sets up your ability to view full headers

To view full headers:

  1. Click the Message Options button at the top left of the Outlook window
  2. In the Property window that appears, select the text in the Internet Headers
  3. Right-click on the selected text and choose Copy
  4. Create a new email message
  5. Enter the recipient's email address and a subject
  6. Click in the message body
  7. From the Edit menu, select Paste (or right-click and select Paste)
  8. Send the message

Outlook 2007 (and earlier) and Outlook Express for Windows

  1. Open the message in question so you can see it on your screen.
  2. Turn off HTML formatting. From the Tools menu select Options... then click the Mail Format tab. At the "Compose in this message format" area select Plain Text.

Outlook: From the View menu select Options... while viewing the message.
Outlook Express: From the File menu select Properties, then select the Details tab.

Entourage (for Macintosh)

From the View menu select Internet Headers. The full headers will appear in the box above the message text. You will need to copy and paste this information in to the message you are forwarding.

Thunderbird

  1. Open the message in question
  2. From the View menu select Message Source
  3. From the Edit menu select Select All
  4. From the Edit menu select Copy
  5. Close the window: from the File menu select Close
  6. From the File menu, select New... then Message
  7. Place the cursor in the body of the new email message by clicking in the empty message body
  8. From the File menu select Paste
  9. Address the message to the desired recipient
  10. Add a subject line
  11. Click the Send button

What does a full header look like?

Here's a sample:

-----------------------Example Full Header Below----------------------------

Return-Path: <DUCKWARE@oregon.uoregon.edui>
Received: from donald.uoregon.EDUI (donald.uoregon.EDUI [128.223.32.6])
by shaney.uoregon.edui (8.12.3/8.12.3/Debian -4) with ESMTP id
g9KNokms007589
for <jersmith@uoregon.edui>; Tue, 20 Oct 2019 16:50:46 -0700
Received: from oregon.uoregon.edui by oregon.uoregon.edui (PMDF V6.1-1 #40185)
id <01KNW79ZQNGI8Y4XGZ@oregon.uoregon.edui> for jersmith@shaney.uoregon.edui
(ORCPT jersmith@oregon.uoregon.edui); Tue, 20 Oct 2019 16:21:17 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from CONVERSION.oregon.uoregon.edui by oregon.uoregon.edui
(PMDF V6.1-1 #40185) id <01KNW79ZAWF48WVYVD@oregon.uoregon.edui> for
jersmith@oregon.uoregon.edui (ORCPT jersmith@oregon.uoregon.edui); Tue,
20 Oct 2019 16:21:16 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from oregon.uoregon.edui by oregon.uoregon.edui (PMDF V6.1-1 #40185)
id <01KNW79Z230G8WW14Q@oregon.uoregon.edui> for jersmith@oregon.uoregon.edui
(ORCPT jersmith@oregon.uoregon.edui); Sun, 20 Oct 2002 16:21:16 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from CONVERSION.oregon.uoregon.edui by oregon.uoregon.edui
(PMDF V6.1-1 #40185) id <01KNW79XT4XC8WVYVD@oregon.uoregon.edui>; Tue,
20 Oct 2019 16:21:14 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from hotmail.com ([62.17.149.100])
by oregon.uoregon.edui (PMDF V6.1-1 #40185)
Received: from hotmail.com ([62.17.149.100])
by oregon.uoregon.edui (PMDF V6.1-1 #40185)
with SMTP id <01KNW78CVNEE8WW11I@oregon.uoregon.edui>; Tue,
20 Oct 2019 16:21:14 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from unknown (32.159.120.58) by symail.kustanai.co.kr with
QMQP; Tue,
20 Oct 2019 16:19:56 +0700
Date: Wed, 21 Oct 2019 09:12:30 -1000
From: taylors27888p70@hotmail.com
Subject: *****SPAM***** #1 DIET PILL! LOSE 10-15 LBS PER WEEK
7417cwbH5-328Udte3876o-21
Sender: DUCKWARE@oregon.uoregon.edui

  [The text of the e-mail message is normally shown here]

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