How to View Full Email Headers in Gmail

To display a message’s full email headers in Gmail: In the original message view, Gmail offers two links—one to download the email as an .EML file (a plain-text format that many email programs can read) and another to copy the message to the clipboard. In both cases, what gets clipped or downloaded is the actual message content, which appears in the lower pane. The summary information at the top of the window repeats and makes reader-friendly information within the source headers.

Email Header Content

Email headers contain a significant amount of information—like digital postmarks—that identify how the message got from the sender to the recipient. If you report inappropriate messages to the authorities, paste the full header content. It’s not unusual for some header blocks to run more than 100 lines long and be filled with gibberish-looking strings.