Understanding Message Header Information

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Situation	You want to analyze the contents of an email using the email header. Email headers are useful for a detailed technical understanding of the mail.
Solution	Open the headers and analyze as per the categories and descriptions below.

Understanding Message Header fields

Return-Path	The return-path email header is mainly used for bounces. It describes the return-path of the message, where the message needs to be delivered or how one can reach the message sender. If the message is not delivered, then the mail server will send the message to the specified email address.
Received	An essential email header in Outlook 2010 or all other versions is received header. It displays the list of all the email servers through which the message is routed to reach the receiver. The best way to analysis this header is read it from bottom to top. This header also provides the information about the message that is when the message is transferred for example in above header it specifies that it occurred on Tuesday, October 18, 2016, at 04:56:19 in the morning is Pacific Standard Time that is 8 hours later than UTC (Universal Coordinated Time). This field also provides IP addresses of all the sender's mail servers, receiver's mail server, and the mail servers through which the message is passed from sender to receiver.
Message-ID	There is always a unique message id assigned to each message that refers to a particular version of a particular message. For example: Message-ID: "58060de3.644e420a.7228e.e2aa@mx.google.com" This message has a unique identifier (number) that is assigned by mx.google.com for identification purposes. It is the unique ID that is always associated with the message.
Date	As the name indicates, it specifies the date and time of a particular message that when the message was composed and sent. Moreover, this date and time are totally dependent on the clock of sender's computer.
From	The from email header in Outlook specifies the name of the sender and the email address of the sender. This header can easily be forged, therefore it is least reliable. For example: From: "Microsoft Outlook" "content.trainingupdate@gmail.com" It specifies that the message was sent by Microsoft Outlook from the email address content.trainingupdate@gmail.com
To	This field in the Outlook email header normally specifies the name of the receiver, or the person the message was sent to.
Subject	This header field normally displays the subject of the email message which is specified by the sender of the email.
MIME Version	MIME is basically a Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension and is an internet standard. Its role is to extend the email message format. It also describes the version of MIME protocol that the sender was using at that time. It is an important email header in Outlook.
Content-Type	It is an additional MIME header that tells the type of content to expect in the message with the help of MIME-compliant e-mail programs. It also displays the format of the message like HTML, XML and plain text.