Viewing Full Email Headers

You may be asked to provide email headers when troubleshooting email issues with IT support staff. This article covers how to view email headers in a variety of commonly-used mail applications. Once opened, you can copy/paste the header code into a new email or text file to share it with IT support staff.

This article contains instructions for:

• UOmail and New Outlook
• Mail for macOS
• Outlook (Classic) for Windows
• Outlook for macOS
• Thunderbird
• What does a full header look like?

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

UOmail and New Outlook

1. Open the email you would like full headers for.
2. 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
3. Select View and then View message details from the drop down options.

Outlook (Classic) for Windows

1. Double-click the message you wish to view headers for to open it in a new window.
2. Click File and then Properties.
3. The headers will be listed as Internet headers in the properties panel.

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.

Outlook for macOS

1. Two-finger click on the message you would like full headers for.
2. Select View Source in the menu that opens.
3. A text edit window will open containing the email headers.

Thunderbird

1. Open the message in question
2. From the View menu select Message Source

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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