Question 1

What is an email header?

Accepted Answer

Email headers are metadata lines at the top of every email message. They record the path the email took from sender to recipient, authentication results (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), spam scores, and timestamps. They are invisible by default but can be viewed in most email clients.

Question 2

How do I view raw email headers?

Accepted Answer

In Gmail: open the email, click the three-dot menu, select 'Show original'. In Outlook: open the email, go to File → Properties, and copy the Internet headers box. In Apple Mail: View → Message → All Headers.

Question 3

What does the Email Header Analyzer check?

Accepted Answer

The analyzer checks SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication results, the delivery hop chain, TLS encryption on each hop, From/Reply-To/Return-Path domain alignment, spam scores, URL flags, and timestamp anomalies that may indicate phishing or spoofing.

Question 4

What is DMARC alignment?

Accepted Answer

DMARC alignment means the From domain in the visible header matches the domain used by SPF or DKIM. When alignment fails it means the email may be spoofed — the visible sender domain does not match the authenticated domain.