Email Header Analyzer
Use this email header analyzer to read the raw headers of a message. It lists every server the message passed through with the delay of each hop, shows the SPF, DKIM and DMARC results, and points out problems such as a HELO name that is not a full domain name.
The analysis runs in your browser. The headers you paste are not sent to Uptrack and are not stored.
Email header analyzer: how to get the headers
- Gmail
- Open the message, choose the three-dot menu and then Show original. Copy the header block at the top.
- Outlook
- Open the message, then File, Properties. The Internet headers box holds the headers.
- Apple Mail
- Open the message, then View, Message, All Headers (or Raw Source).
- Paste only the headers
- Copy from the first line down to the first blank line. The tool stops reading there.
Reading the Received headers of an email
Each server that handles a message adds a Received header on top. The tool turns them around so the first server comes first. For every hop it shows the name the server gave itself (HELO), its IP address, the reverse DNS name, the server that received the message and the time.
The delay of a hop is the time between its Received date and the one before it. A long delay points to a queue, a greylist or a scan at that server. A HELO name without a dot, such as a bare host name, is not a full domain name, and receivers count it against the sender.
SPF, DKIM and DMARC results in email headers
- Added by the receiver
- The Authentication-Results header is written by the server that received the message, so paste the headers from the inbox that got it.
- SPF
- Did the sending server have the right to send for the envelope domain?
- DKIM
- Is the signature valid, and for which domain and selector?
- DMARC
- Did SPF or DKIM pass and line up with the visible From domain?
Frequently asked questions
How do I read email headers?
Paste the full header block into the tool above and press Analyze headers. It shows the path of the message, the delays and the SPF, DKIM and DMARC results in plain English.
Where do I find the full headers of an email?
In Gmail, open the message and choose Show original from the three-dot menu. In Outlook, use File, Properties. In Apple Mail, use View, Message, All Headers.
Are the headers I paste stored or sent anywhere?
No. The analysis runs in your browser and nothing you paste is sent to Uptrack. Headers can hold addresses and IP addresses, so it is still good practice to clear the box when you finish.
Why does the headers result show no SPF, DKIM or DMARC?
These results are added by the receiving server. If you copied the headers from a sent message or from a forwarded copy, they may be missing. Copy the headers from the inbox that received the message.
What does a delay between two Received headers mean?
It is the time one server held the message before it passed it on. A few seconds is normal. A minute or more usually means a queue, a greylist, a virus scan or a clock that is wrong on one of the servers.
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