Introduction to Email Analysis
Welcome to the Learn section of our Email Header Analyzer. Whether you're a curious user, system administrator, or cybersecurity enthusiast, this resource is designed to help you understand what email headers are, how they work, and what they can reveal about the emails you receive.
Email headers are often overlooked, but they contain crucial information used to track email delivery paths, detect spoofing or phishing attempts, and validate sender authenticity. Understanding these headers is key to analyzing suspicious emails, troubleshooting delivery issues, and improving domain security.
This section is structured to guide you through every aspect of email headers—from the basics to advanced technical interpretations—making complex concepts approachable and actionable.
📚 Topics Covered
Email Headers
- What are email headers?
- Why email headers matter
- How email headers differ from email content
- Where to find email headers in major email clients
Core Components of an Email Header
- From, To, Subject, Date: Basic fields
- Return-Path, Sender, Reply-To: Sender-related fields
- Message-ID: Unique message identifier
- MIME-Version and Content-Type: Format and encoding info
Email Routing and Delivery Path
- The Received header chain: how emails travel
- Understanding server hops
- Detecting forged or suspicious hops
- IP address tracking and geolocation
How Email Authentication Works
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework)
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)
- ARC (Authenticated Received Chain)
Common Security & Spam Indicators
- What makes an email suspicious?
- Signs of spoofing and impersonation
- From vs Return-Path mismatches
- Missing or malformed headers
- Known spammy tools (e.g. PHPMailer)
Interpreting Authentication-Results
- What is the Authentication-Results header?
- How to read pass/fail lines
- Examples of valid and failed SPF/DKIM/DMARC results
Analyzing Specific Headers
- Glossary of common headers (alphabetical or grouped)
- Rare but important headers: Precedence, X-Mailer, List-Unsubscribe
- Headers used in mailing lists and newsletters
- Non-standard or forged headers
Email Header Analysis Rules
- Rule categories (authentication, routing, spam)
- Explanation of each rule applied in analysis
- Example verdicts: Likely Legit, Suspicious, High Risk
- Scoring system (if applicable)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Why is my email flagged as spam?
- What does dkim=fail mean?
- How can I fix SPF/DKIM for my domain?
- Can I trust an email with missing headers?
Each section links to practical examples and real-world cases, helping you confidently interpret headers and understand the verdicts generated by our analyzer.
Let us know if you'd like to dive into a specific section next!