Reading an E-mail Source

An e-mail source will display its true content, the raw message code prior to interpreting. Inspecting it may serve to:

  • analyze e-mail deliverability,
  • gain some information on the sender and the path taken by the message.

You can retrieve it via any mail client. For example, via webmail, you will find it in … Plus > Show source

Roundcube: display the source
Roundcube: display the source

The e-mail source comprises:

  • the path taken by the message:

    Return-Path: <test@alwaysdata.net>
Delivered-To: test@alwaysdata.net
Received: from smtpin1.paris1.alwaysdata.com ([2a00:b6e0:1:42:1::1])
    (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256 (128/128 bits))
    by imap1.paris1.alwaysdata.com (Dovecot) with LMTP id CmIDBvaxwl1rVwAA37iJ7g
    for <test@alwaysdata.net>; Wed, 06 Nov 2019 12:43:50 +0100
Return-path: <test@alwaysdata.net>
Envelope-to: test@alwaysdata.net
Delivery-date: Wed, 06 Nov 2019 12:43:50 +0100
Received: from r0.smtpout1.paris1.alwaysdata.com ([2a00:b6e0:1:40:1:0:10:1])
    by smtpin1.paris1.alwaysdata.com with esmtps (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_128_GCM_SHA256:128)
    (Exim 4.89)
    (envelope-from <test@alwaysdata.net>)
    id 1iSJj3-0002iV-Ih
    for test@alwaysdata.net; Wed, 06 Nov 2019 12:43:49 +0100
DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; q=dns/txt; c=relaxed/relaxed;
    d=alwaysdata.net; s=default; h=Message-ID:Subject:To:From:Date:
    Content-Transfer-Encoding:Content-Type:MIME-Version:Sender:Reply-To:Cc:
    Content-ID:Content-Description:Resent-Date:Resent-From:Resent-Sender:
    Resent-To:Resent-Cc:Resent-Message-ID:In-Reply-To:References:List-Id:
    List-Help:List-Unsubscribe:List-Subscribe:List-Post:List-Owner:List-Archive;
     bh=YQoEy7AqzMBW43UhSGwdwOMGy0oQSsXVrnHBfRPYaBI=; b=c2XgGNOxBOho5IeU+hJUcZ+Q1
    LFBY4TpRTM/3R49CQAOWbwA/Mcc+8YZrorRAleKJU9oiyWa4ZeMWsffkyxNAUtI9YIM6ZNAsTIQBB
    BxOvey3PSQ6S49c+H25IVoIRdpp35yiOslrIFTvTtbCNwMbydk3XAJB+V+n2g2eq1NMN4=;
Received: from ad.alwaysdata.net
    ([2a00:b6e0:1:210:1::1] helo=ad-roundcube.alwaysdata.net ident=ad-roundcube)
    by smtpout1.paris1.alwaysdata.com with esmtpsa (TLS1.2:ECDHE_RSA_AES_128_GCM_SHA256:128)
    (Exim 4.89)
    (envelope-from <test@alwaysdata.net>)
    id 1iSJj2-0002F2-Fq
    for test@alwaysdata.net; Wed, 06 Nov 2019 12:43:48 +0100
Received: from overlord-core.paris1.alwaysdata.com (2a00:b6e0:1:84:1::1)
 by ad-roundcube.alwaysdata.net

    The mail transited a number of our servers to reach the target server imap1.paris1.alwaysdata.com. The DKIM public key is shown.

  • Various information relating to the message itself and the user agent is shown.

    with HTTP (HTTP/1.1 POST); Wed, 06 Nov 2019 12:43:48 +0100
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII;
 format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Date: Wed, 06 Nov 2019 12:43:48 +0100
From: test@alwaysdata.net
To: test@alwaysdata.net
Subject: Test sources
Message-ID: <8a6782ecf30c333f037193c7bdfc546c@alwaysdata.net>
X-Sender: test@alwaysdata.net
User-Agent: Roundcube Webmail/1.3.10

  • Elements linked to antivirus, antispam software:

    X-alwaysdata-Spam-Report:
0.00 TO_EQ_FROM - To address matches the From address
0.00 TO_DN_NONE - None of the recipients have display names
0.00 RCVD_VIA_SMTP_AUTH - Authenticated hand-off was seen in Received headers
0.00 RCVD_TLS_LAST - Last hop used encrypted transports
0.00 RCVD_COUNT_THREE [3] - Message has 3-5 Received headers
0.00 RCPT_COUNT_ONE [1] - One recipient
0.00 MIME_TRACE [0:+]
0.00 MID_RHS_MATCH_FROM - Message-ID RHS matches From domain
0.00 FROM_NO_DN - From header does not have a display name
0.00 ARC_NA - ARC signature absent
-0.10 MIME_GOOD [text/plain] - Known content-type
-1.00 NEURAL_HAM [-0.998] - Neural network ham
X-alwaysdata-Spam-Score: -1.10

    The e-mail does not contain any virus detected by ClamAV and Rspamd gives a low score allowing the message to be sent.