Detailed Headers

Email Headers

Each E-Mail, like web pages do, contain a set of headers.  These headers detail information about the email.  You will find information such as from, to and subject which you already know.  You will also find CC (Carbon Copies) which is a list of the other people who received this e-mail.  You will also receive in these headers, details about which servers (SMTP servers) the e-mail went to.  And yes, you will also find in the email the IP address of the original sender, or at least the server address.  You should also see a message ID.

Viewing these headers

By default you just see the to and from and subject when you enable headers.  To view detailed headers:

Outlook Express: Right click on the e-mail, select properties, and click details.
                             If the email is already open, select file>>Properties

Outlook: Right click on the email, select options.
                If the email is already open, click view>>Options

Example Email - An email from me (At one account) to me (at another account).

Received: from [209.228.22.151] (helo=c000.lhr.cp.net)            (My SMTP server received from altavista's)
by server1.web-mania.com with smtp (Exim 3.22 #3)
id 18A6ub-0006oe-00
for helpbytes@helpbytes.co.uk; Fri, 08 Nov 2002 11:02:53 +0000
Received: (cpmta 8996 invoked from network); 8 Nov 2002 11:03:10 +0000
Received: from 209.228.22.162 (HELO mail.altavista.co.uk.criticalpath.net)            (Altavista Receives from webpage)
by smtp.altavista.co.uk (209.228.22.151) with SMTP; 8 Nov 2002 11:03:10 +0000  
X-Sent: 8 Nov 2002 11:03:10 GMT
Received: from [172.186.84.163] by mail.altavista.co.uk with HTTP;        (172.186.84.163 was my IP).
Fri, 08 Nov 2002 03:03:07 -0800 (PST)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1            (Type of data within body of email)
Content-Disposition: inline
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: helpbytes@helpbytes.co.uk.co.uk        (Who the e-mail is to)
From: "Freddy" <freddy00_uk@altavista.co.uk>        (Who the e-mail is from)
Subject: test        (Subject of the email)
X-Sent-From: freddy00_uk@altavista.co.uk
Date: Fri, 08 Nov 2002 03:03:07 -0800 (PST)        (Date and time email was sent)
X-Mailer: Web Mail 5.1.0-7_sol28
Message-Id: <20021108110307.21618.h012.c000.wm@mail.altavista.co.uk.criticalpath.net>        (Message ID)
X-UIDL: BfD!!ed>"!O[P!!=cc!!
(Blank Line Here)
(E-Mail body here)

X-   are custom parts which some clients understand and make use of.