What is mail header?

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<seo title="What is mail header" metakeywords="what is mail header,email header,read header,e-mail header,send mail" metadescription="What is mail header" />
 
<seo title="What is mail header" metakeywords="what is mail header,email header,read header,e-mail header,send mail" metadescription="What is mail header" />
  
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<div align=justify>All of us regularly send mails. We just enter the text and click 'Send'. But do you know that emails consist not only of the text? Each email consists of 2 parts:
 
<div align=justify>All of us regularly send mails. We just enter the text and click 'Send'. But do you know that emails consist not only of the text? Each email consists of 2 parts:
  
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You may ask: when I send mails I do not add any header. What is mail header? Where do they come from? How can I read headers to understand what is written there?
 
You may ask: when I send mails I do not add any header. What is mail header? Where do they come from? How can I read headers to understand what is written there?
  
Here's an example of a message header for an email sent from ''MrBrown@example.com'' to ''MrBlack@example.com''. We'll let you know how to read headers:
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Here's an example of a message header for an email sent from ''MrBrown@myidealhost.com'' to ''MrBlack@myidealhost.com''. We'll let you know how to read headers:
  
  Delivered-To: MrBlack@example.com
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  Delivered-To: MrBlack@myidealhost.com
 
  Received: by 10.36.81.3 with SMTP1 id e3cs239nzb;  
 
  Received: by 10.36.81.3 with SMTP1 id e3cs239nzb;  
 
  Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:47 -0800 (PST)
 
  Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:47 -0800 (PST)
 
  Return-Path:
 
  Return-Path:
  Received: from mail.example.com (mail.example.com [111.111.11.111])  
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  Received: from mail.myidealhost.com  
    by mx.example.com with SMTP id h19si826631rnb.2005.03.29.15.11.46;  
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(mail.myidealhost.com [111.111.11.111])  
    Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:47 -0800 (PST)
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by mx.myidealhost.com with SMTP  
    Message-ID: <20050329231145.62086.mail@mail.example.com>
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id h19si826631rnb.2005.03.29.15.11.46;  
    Received: from [11.11.111.111] by mail.example.com via HTTP;  
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Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:47 -0800 (PST)
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Message-ID: <20050329231145.62086.mail@mail.myidealhost.com>
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Received: from [11.11.111.111] by mail.myidealhost.com via HTTP;  
  
    Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:45 PST
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Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:45 PST
    Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:45 -0800 (PST)
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Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:45 -0800 (PST)
    From: Mr Jones
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From: Mr Jones
    Subject: Hello
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Subject: Hello
    To: Mr Smith
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To: Mr Smith
  
 
In the example, headers are added to the message three times:
 
In the example, headers are added to the message three times:
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''When Mr. Brown composes the email''
 
''When Mr. Brown composes the email''
  
    Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:45 -0800 (PST)
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Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:45 -0800 (PST)
    From: Mr Brown
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From: Mr Brown
    Subject: Hello
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Subject: Hello
    To: Mr Black
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To: Mr Black
  
''Mr. Brown sends email through his email provider, mail.example.com''
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''Mr. Brown sends email through his email provider, mail.myidealhost.com''
  
    Message-ID: <20050329231145.62086.mail@mail.example.com>
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Message-ID: <20050329231145.62086.mail@mail.myidealhost.com>
    Received: from [11.11.111.111] by mail.example.com via HTTP;  
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Received: from [11.11.111.111] by mail.myidealhost.com via HTTP;  
    Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:45 PST
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Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:45 PST
  
 
''When the message transfers from Mr. Brown's email provider to Mr. Black's example address''
 
''When the message transfers from Mr. Brown's email provider to Mr. Black's example address''
  
    Delivered-To: MrBlack@example.com
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Delivered-To: MrBlack@myidealhost.com
    Received: by 10.36.81.3 with SMTP id e3cs239nzb;
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Received: by 10.36.81.3 with SMTP id e3cs239nzb;
    Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:47 -0800 (PST)
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Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:47 -0800 (PST)
    Return-Path: MrBrown@example.com
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Return-Path: MrBrown@myidealhost.com
    Received: from mail.example.com (mail.example.com  
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Received: from mail.myidealhost.com (mail.myidealhost.com  
    ([111.111.11.111])  
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([111.111.11.111])  
    by mx.example.com with SMTP id h19si826631rnb;  
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by mx.myidealhost.com with SMTP id h19si826631rnb;  
    Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:47 -0800 (PST)
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Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:47 -0800 (PST)
  
  
 
Below is a description of each section of the email header:
 
Below is a description of each section of the email header:
  
    Delivered-To: MrBlack@example.com
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Delivered-To: MrBlack@myidealhost.com
  
 
''The email address the message will be delivered to.''
 
''The email address the message will be delivered to.''
  
    Received: by 10.36.81.3 with SMTP id e3cs239nzb;
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Received: by 10.36.81.3 with SMTP id e3cs239nzb;
    Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:47 -0800 (PST)
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Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:47 -0800 (PST)
  
 
''The time the message reached example's servers.''
 
''The time the message reached example's servers.''
  
    Return-Path:
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Return-Path:
  
 
''The address from which the message was sent.''
 
''The address from which the message was sent.''
  
    Received: from mail.example.com
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Received: from mail.myidealhost.com
    (mail.example.com [111.111.11.111])
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(mail.myidealhost.com [111.111.11.111])
    by mx.example.com with SMTP id h19si826631rnb.2005.03.29.15.11.46;
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by mx.myidealhost.com with SMTP  
    Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:47 -0800 (PST)
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id h19si826631rnb.2005.03.29.15.11.46;
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Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:47 -0800 (PST)
  
''The message was received from mail.example.com, by a example server on March 29, 2005 at approximately 3 pm.''
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''The message was received from mail.myidealhost.com, by a example server on March 29, 2005 at approximately 3 pm.''
  
    Message-ID: 20050329231145.62086.mail@mail.example.com
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Message-ID: 20050329231145.62086.mail@mail.myidealhost.com
  
''A unique number assigned by mail.example.com to identify the message.''
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''A unique number assigned by mail.myidealhost.com to identify the message.''
  
  Received: from [11.11.111.111] by mail.example.com via HTTP;
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Received: from [11.11.111.111] by mail.myidealhost.com via HTTP;
  Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:45 PST
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Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:45 PST
  
''Mr. Brown used an email composition program to write and send the mail message, and it was then received by the email servers of mail.example.com.''
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''Mr. Brown used an email composition program to write and send the mail message, and it was then received by the email servers of mail.myidealhost.com.''
  
 
   Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:45 -0800 (PST)
 
   Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:11:45 -0800 (PST)

Latest revision as of 13:39, 26 October 2012

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