Email headers contain detailed metadata about a message — including the sender's IP address, mail server path (Received headers), authentication results (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and routing information. Viewing full headers is essential for diagnosing delivery issues, identifying spam sources, or reporting abuse.
Step 1 — Log in to Webmail
- Navigate to your webmail login page (typically
https://yourdomain.com/webmailorhttps://yourdomain.com:2096). - Enter your email address and password, then select Roundcube.
Step 2 — Open the Email
- Navigate to the folder containing the email (e.g., Inbox).
- Click on the email to open it.
Step 3 — View the Full Headers
- Click the More menu (three dots ⋮) in the toolbar above the email body.
- Select Show Source (or Show Headers in some versions).
- A new window or tab will open displaying the complete raw email, including all headers at the top and the message body below.
Alternative Method — Using the Message Info Plugin
- If your Roundcube installation includes the Message Info plugin, you can click Headers or the Info icon directly from the email view for a cleaner, formatted display of headers only.
Key Headers to Look For
- Received: — Shows the chain of mail servers that handled the message (read from bottom to top for chronological order).
- From: — The sender displayed to the recipient (can be spoofed).
- Reply-To: — The address replies will be sent to.
- Authentication-Results: — SPF, DKIM, and DMARC verification results.
- X-Spam-Status: — Spam filter score and verdict (if available).
- Message-ID: — A unique identifier for the email, useful for tracking.
Troubleshooting
- "Show Source" option not visible: Ensure you have opened an individual email (not just selected it in the list). The More menu only appears when viewing a message.
- Headers overwhelming to read: Paste the headers into an online header analyser such as Google Admin Toolbox Messageheader or MXToolbox Email Header Analyzer for a formatted breakdown.
