Email header analyzer: Troubleshoot, authenticate, & secure
Use Sendmarc’s email header analyzer to decode and understand your email headers in seconds. Identify sender details, verify authentication results, and trace message paths – quickly and clearly.
To begin, paste your email header or upload an email file using the tool and click Analyze Header.
What is an email header analyzer?
An email header is a snippet of code that contains information about the message. It includes key details such as the sender and recipient addresses, subject line, timestamps, and the path the email will redirect to if delivery fails.
An email header analyzer processes messages and transforms the email header information into a readable format. This data helps email systems and administrators verify message legitimacy and resolve issues.
Analyzing email headers is essential for both email security and deliverability. Headers indicate whether an email has passed authentication checks such as Sender Policy Framework (SPF), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), and Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC). These protocols help protect against spoofing and phishing attacks.
Without analyzing email headers, it’s difficult to identify fraudulent messages or understand why legitimate emails are marked as Spam.
Why use an email header analyzer?
Analyzing email headers is essential for the following reasons:
- Security: Detect phishing, spoofing, and Spam by checking sender authenticity and message integrity.
- Troubleshooting: Resolve email issues by tracking the message path and status.
- Compliance: Ensure messages meet authentication standards required by email providers and regulators.
- Deliverability: Improve inbox placement by confirming proper authentication and identifying errors.
An email header analyzer simplifies complex header data into actionable insights. This helps IT professionals and domain owners make informed decisions and protect their email infrastructure effectively.
How email headers affect deliverability and security
Email headers play a critical role in both deliverability and security:
- Deliverability: Spam filters and email servers review header data to determine whether a message should be delivered to the inbox. Properly authenticated headers, those passing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, enhance trust and reduce the risk of messages being marked as Spam.
- Security: Headers include SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication results. This means they can verify the use of these protocols, helping to identify unauthenticated messages and misconfigurations. Additionally, headers can include data about whether or not the receiver views the message as Spam and if that message contains any sort of malware.
By analyzing with an email header checker, organizations can maintain strong email authentication. This helps ensure that legitimate emails are delivered while malicious ones are blocked.
What information can you get from an email header analyzer?
An email header analyzer contains essential data fields that provide insights into an email’s origin, path, and security status. These include:
- From: The sender’s email address
- To: The recipient’s email address
- Subject: The subject line of the email
- Date: The timestamp of when the email was sent
- Received: A list of email servers the message passed through, showing its route
- Authentication results: Status of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
- Message-ID: A unique identifier assigned to the email
- Return-Path: The email address that handles bounced messages
These fields offer a detailed view of an email’s delivery path and authentication statuses, helping identify spoofing attempts and other issues.
Quick summary of header fields:
| Header field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| From | Sender’s email address |
| To | Recipient’s email address |
| Subject | Email subject |
| Date | Timestamp of sending |
| Received | Servers the email passed through |
| Authentication results | SPF, DKIM, & DMARC statuses |
| Message-ID | Unique email identifier |
| Return-Path | Bounce handling address |
How to use an email header analyzer
Using Sendmarc’s email header analyzer is simple and effective:
- Access the tool: Navigate to the tool.
- Copy the header: Open the email you want to analyze. In your email client, locate and copy the full header. This is typically found under options like “Show original” or “View source.”
- Paste the header: Paste the copied header into the analyzer’s input field.
- Run the analysis: Click the button to process the email header.
- Review results: View detailed information about the email’s authentication status, origin, and path.
- Take action: Use the data to resolve issues, verify sender legitimacy, or strengthen your domain’s email security.
Tip: You can also download the email message and upload it to the email header analyzer.
Use Sendmarc’s email header analyzer to gain instant visibility into emails, improve security, and boost deliverability.
Sign up to access advanced email authentication tools and protect your business from phishing and spoofing attacks.
Email header analyzer FAQs
What is an email header?
An email header is a piece of code that contains details about the message, such as the sender and recipient addresses, timestamps, routing path, and authentication results. This data helps verify the legitimacy of the email and diagnose issues.
How do I analyze an email header?
To analyze an email header, copy the full header from your email client, usually found under options like “Show original” or “View source.” After, paste it into an email header analyzer tool, which will transform the data into readable insights, including sender, routing, and authentication data.
What information can I get from an email header?
An email header provides details such as the sender and recipient addresses, the servers the email passed through, sending time, and authentication results. These results include the status of Sender Policy Framework (SPF), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), and Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC).
How does an email header affect my deliverability?
An email header affects deliverability by influencing how receiving email servers evaluate the message. Properly configured headers that pass SPF, DKIM, and DMARC checks improve the likelihood of emails reaching the inbox. Poorly configured headers can lead to emails being flagged as Spam or rejected.
Can email headers be spoofed?
Yes, email headers can be spoofed by cybercriminals to hide the true sender. Authentication protocols like DMARC can detect and block spoofed messages by verifying whether the source is authorized to send on behalf of the domain.
