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How to Expand Your Email Headers

Sometimes you may need to view the full header of an email message to get more info about the routing or sender, or to report a problem. Below is information on how to view these headers in popular email applications.

 

Most e-mail programs display partial headers, which typically show the basic to/from information, the date, and a subject line. Full or extended headers (raw headers) have additional fields, including information on how the message reached you. They are included with each e-mail, but are not always visible.

The following instructions for viewing full headers were contributed by RootsWeb users, and verified when possible with instructions offered on the help pages of mail programs and SpamCop.

AOL, (The) Bat, Blitzmail, Claris E-Mailer, Eudora, Excite, Forte Agent, GNU/Emacs, Hotmail, Juno, KDE Desktop (k-mail), Lotus Notes, Lycos, Mail Warrior, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Entourage, MSN.TV, Netscape, Nettamer, Novell, OneBox, Operamail, Outlook/Outlook Express, Outlook Web Access, Pegasus, Pine, Pronto (GTK/Unix), Star Office, WebTV, Yahoo Mail
Mail Program Instructions for viewing full or expanded headers
AOL

Version 7.0
1. Click on "details" to see full or expanded headers.

Prior to Version 7.0
Full headers are displayed on every e-mail, beneath the message area.
The Bat 1. Click on "Messages" menu.
2. Click on "Save As."
3. Save as "Type I" and select "Unix Mailboxes" (*.mbx).
4. Open with your favorite text editor (Notepad, WordPad, etc.).
or
1. Click on the "Messages" menu.
2. Click on "View Source."
or
1. Click on the "F9" button on your keyboard.
Blitzmail 1. While viewing the message, click on the "Options" menu.
2. Click on "Verbose Header" link (top of the window).
Claris E-Mailer

Version 2.0 and higher
1. While viewing the message, click on "Mail" menu.
2. Choose "Show Long Headers."

Versions prior to 2.0
1. Click on the blue triangle (near the "from" information).
2. Choose "Show Original Headers."
Eudora

Versions 3.0 and higher
1. While viewing the message, click on the "Blah, Blah, Blah" button, located in the menu bar directly above the message.

Versions prior to 3.0
1. Click on "Tools" or "Special" in the menu options.
2. Choose "Options" or "Settings."
3. Click on "Fonts and Display" from the menu on the left.
4. Place a check the box for "Show all headers (even the ugly ones)."
5. Uncheck the "Show all headers" option when you are finished, if you don't want to view full headers on every message.

Eudora for the Mac
1. Click on the button on the upper left-hand corner of the message.
Excite 1. Click on the "Save to disk" and save as a text file.
2. Open the file with your favorite text editor (Notepad, WordPad, etc.).
Forte Agent Versions 1.5 to 1.8
1. Click on Ctrl+R (Hold down the "Ctrl" key while pressing the "R" key).
2. Repeat to display in normal mode again.
GNU/Emacs Press the 'W' and then the "V" keys in the summary or mail buffer.
Hotmail 1. Click on "Options" (on the navigation bar, left side of page).
2. Click on "Preferences."
3. Choose "Other Hotmail Options" or "Additional Options/Mail Display Options."
4. Click on "Message Headers."
5. Click on "Advanced" or "Full" and then "OK."
6. Click on "View Email Message Source."
Juno Version 4.0 and higher
1. Click on the "Options" menu.
2. Choose "Email Options."
3. Select "Show Message Headers."
4. Choose "Full" and click "OK."
KDE Desktop
(kmail)		 1. Click on "Message."
2. Click on "View Source."
Lotus Notes

Version 5.x
1. Click on "Actions."
2. Click on "Tools."
3. Choose "Delivery Information" and look for the separator line that reads "Additional Header."
4. If "Delivery Information" doesn't appear as an option, right-click on the e-mail and select "Document Properties." Select the "Fields" tab to find the "Additional Headers" field.

Versions 4.x
1. Open the message and click on "Actions."
2. Choose "Delivery Information" and choose the Internet-style mail header information from the window.
3. If "Delivery Information" doesn't appear as an option, right-click on the email and select "Document Properties. Select the "Fields" tab to find the "Additional Headers" field.
Lycos Click on the "All Headers" button (in the navigation bar).
Mail Warrior Version 3.56
1. While viewing the message, click on "File."
2. Click on "Save Message As" and save as a text (.txt) file.
3. Open the saved file in your favorite text editor (Notepad, WordPad, etc.).
Microsoft Entourage Office: Mac (2001) and OS X Versions
1. Click on "View" in the menu at top of the screen.
2. Click on "Source."
Microsoft Exchange 1. Click on the "File" menu.
2. Click on "Properties" and then the "Details" tab.
3. Click "Message Source."
MSN-TV
(WebTV)		 1. While viewing the message, click on "Forward" (located on the sidebar).
2. Address the document to yourself.
3. Erase the entire subject line.
4. Put your cursor on the first line of the message area, and click enter twice. Your cursor should be on the third line of the text area.
5. Type any "Alt" character on this line - do not click on "Return"
6. Cut and paste the "Alt" character onto the subject line: (CMD+"A"), (CMD+"X"), (CMD +"V"). The character should move to the message area.
7. Click on "Send"; open the e-mail.
Netscape

Versions 4.x through 7.0
1. Click on the "View" menu.
2. Click on "Headers."
3. Select "All."

Versions prior to 4.x
1. Click the "View" menu.
2. Click on "Headers."
3. Click on "All" or "Full."
4. Click on "Forward."

Netscape Webmail
1. While viewing the message, click on the yellow triangle (right of the brief message headers).
2. Click on the yellow triangle again to return to brief headers.
Nettamer 1. Save the e-mail as an ASCII file.
2. Open the saved file with your favorite ASCII editor.
Novell 1. While viewing the message, click on "File."
2. Click on "Attachments."
3. Click on "View" and select "Mime.822 attachment."
OneBox 1. Click on the "Download" link (above the reply button).
2. Click on the "Full Message" link.
3. Click on the [folder name] link in the message window or the navigation frame to return.
Operamail 1. Click on "Options."
2. Check the box for "Show Message Headers in Body of Message."
Outlook or Outlook Express

Outlook or Outlook Express for Windows
1. Click on (highlight) the message title line (not the preview window).
2. Click on "File."
3. Click on "Properties."
4. Click the "Details" tab.
Shortcut:
1. Click on (highlight) the message title line (not the preview window)
2. Click ctrl+F3 (hold down the "ctrl" key while clicking "F3"
Note: This will call up the body of the message as well as the headers.

Outlook Express for Macintosh
1. Select the message.
2. Click on the "View" menu.
3. Select "Source."

Outlook 98/2000
1. Open the message by double clicking on it.
2. Click on the "View" menu.
3. Click on "Options."
4. The full headers will be under "Internet Headers."

Outlook 97
Microsoft Outlook 97 users may need an Internet Mail Enhancement Patch to display full headers. It is available at http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/9798/outlimep.aspx
Outlook Web Access 1. Left click on the e-mail you want to open.
2. Click on "Properties" and then the "Details" tab.
3. Click on "Message Source."
Pegasus Click on "Control" and "H."
or
Click on the "Backspace" button (note, this method does not always work).
Pine

If the header option is enabled
1. Click on "H" (Headers).

If the header option is not enabled
1. Click on "S" (Setup).
2. Click on "C" (Configuration).
3. Scroll to "enable-full-header-cmd" and click on "Enter."
4. Click on "E" (Exit) and "Y" (Yes).
5. Return to message window and click on "H" (Headers).
Pronto
(GTK/Unix)		 1. Click on the "Message" option.
2. Click on "View Source."
Star Office 1. Right click on the container name in the explorer panel (a top-level mail box or a specific mail folder).
2. Select "Properties" and then the "Headers" tab.
3. Click on the "All" button (on the right) and click on "OK."
Yahoo Mail 1. Log into your Yahoo! Mail account.
2. Click on "Mail Options" (located in top navigation bar).
3. Click on the "General Preferences" link.
4. Locate the "Headers" section (under "Messages Options") and select "Show all headers on incoming messages".
5. Click on the "Save" button (at bottom of page).