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

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.

• E-mail deliverability: best practices