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How to View Full Message Headers in Outlook 2019/2016

Mitch BartlettMay 21, 2019 Comments (14)
Outlook Logo Header

Need to investigate the forensics of an email message? You can view full message headers in Microsoft Outlook 2019 and 2016 using one of these two options.

Desktop App – Option 1

  1. Double-click the email message to display it in its own full window.
  2. Select “File” > “Properties“.
    Outlook message properties
  3. The Properties window is displayed. View the message header in the “Internet headers” field at the bottom of the window.
    Outlook message header

Desktop App – Option 2

  1. Double-click the email message to display it in its own full window.
  2. Select the tiny arrow in the “Tags” section.
    Outlook arrow tags
  3. The Properties window is displayed. View the message header in the “Internet headers” field at the bottom of the window.
    Outlook message header

Outlook Web Access

If you’re using Outlook Web Access, you can select the three dots (…) located at the upper-right corner while in the message, then choose “View Message details“.


FAQ

Why is the Internet headers box is blank when I attempt to look at it?

You can only see the message headers for messages you have received. If you are looking at “Sent Items“, there will be nothing to show.

Categories: Office

Author Mitch Bartlett

My name is Mitch Bartlett. I've been working in technology for over 20 years in a wide range of tech jobs from Tech Support to Software Testing. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful reference for all.

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Comments

  1. Diana says:
    October 4, 2022 at 4:31 am

    Dear Mr. Sinan Altin,

    I would like to ask you today if you have received my messages. Unfortunately, I have not received a reply and I am not sure if everything has reached you.

    Please give me a short feedback. Thank you very much.

    With kind regards

    Diana Springer
    product manager modelling; art & hobby | product manager brushes for modelling

  2. Steve says:
    August 18, 2020 at 1:58 pm

    No. Opening a potential infected e-mail to read it’s headers is bad JUJU. What happened to the option to read headers (Called options) in outlook 2016). Much more useful and much more safe ;-)

  3. Brian Southam says:
    May 21, 2020 at 4:07 pm

    Thanks again for the tip. Just what I needed.

  4. Kevin Rogers says:
    March 5, 2020 at 5:00 am

    I can open the internet header. what do I do with it. I would like the hacker to be traced and dealt with. I have forwarded the email to Acorn Cyber security.

  5. LEEDOR says:
    January 16, 2020 at 10:38 am

    How about using the MHA Plugin (Message Header Analyzer) through MS Office Store?

  6. johnwayne__ says:
    October 9, 2019 at 1:36 pm

    assuming you are in a folder view, click ‘file’, click ‘options’, click ‘customize ribbon’, click the ‘Home (Mail)’ tab in the right hand list, click ‘new group’, rename the group to what you want and position it in the hierarchy with the arrows at the right of the dialog, make sure your new group is highlighted, change the left upper dropdown selector to ‘all commands’, scroll down to and select ‘message options’, click ‘add’. verify everything is correct and click ‘ok’ to close the dialog.

    Now if there were a way to have the message header or message source open in a full page like outlook.com, we’d really have something. any ideas?

  7. Glen says:
    October 8, 2019 at 11:22 pm

    *** To display Message Headers or view email source WITHOUT opening the email: ***

    First, we need to do some one off customisation …
    1. Ensure the “Home” ribbon is being displayed.
    2. Right click in blank space on the ribbon.
    3. Choose “Customize the Ribbon …”.
    4. In the centre column, underneath “Choose commands from:” is a drop down menu box – select “All Commands”.
    5. In the right hand column, underneath the “Customize the Classic Ribbon: Main Tabs” column, left click “+/- Home”.
    6. Near the bottom of that right hand column, left click the “New Group” button.
    7. Now left click the “Rename” button.
    8. Type in a name for your custom commands group. Eg. “Custom Commands”, then left click the “Ok” button. (You do not need to select a Symbol.)
    9. Left click your newly created custom group (under the Home parent) to be sure it is selected.
    10. In the centre column, scroll down to “Message Options …” and left click.
    11. Between the centre and right columns, left click the “Add >>” button.
    11a. (Add any other special commands you might desire …)
    12. Left click the “Ok” button.

    Now it will be much easier to request Message Headers at any time:
    1. Now find and select (single left click) the message you wish to examine.
    2. Now left click your Custom Commands “Message Options” button at the right side of the Home Ribbon.
    3. The Message “Properties” window with the “Internet headers” box will appear.

    Enjoy!

  8. Jennifer Thomas says:
    October 7, 2019 at 12:56 pm

    As far as I can find, you have to open the message to see the properties. Now somebody smarter prove I’m wrong … please!

  9. Glen says:
    August 20, 2019 at 5:40 am

    Another option I found (seeing as the Internet Headers section was completely missing for me in O365) is to:
    1. Single left click the message in the message queue (second/centre column, if Folders column is on the left hand side).
    2. From above the ribbon menu, select File > Save As > Save as type: Text Only (*.txt) ,
    3. Choose the desired folder file name to save to, and click on Save.
    This method does *NOT* produce full MIME internet headers, but it does give copy and paste access to the Sent date, To, Cc, and Subject text – which is not always available if you use “Open” or “Pop-Out”.
    – – – Example: – – –
    Sent: Wednesday, 24 April 2019 02:58 PM
    To: My Recipient
    Cc: My CC
    Subject: My Subject Text

    The text of my email ….
    My Signature

  10. alex says:
    August 11, 2019 at 5:24 am

    thank you

  11. Red says:
    July 9, 2019 at 2:25 am

    Hello,
    In order to do that, just click on the drop-down in the very upper left corner of Outlook window and select “More Commands…”. In the “Customize Quick Access Toolbar” dialog, select “All Commands” in the “from” list and Add>> the “Message Options…” button to the right list. Click OK and you’re there.

    suggestion by thims
    https://superuser.com/questions/1005791/view-email-header-without-opening-the-message

  12. Jhony says:
    June 7, 2019 at 12:51 pm

    Hi,
    What is tha meaining of X-BFI in email header

  13. S Ahmed says:
    May 31, 2019 at 11:31 pm

    How can I delete these internet headers?
    Thanks

  14. No says:
    May 22, 2019 at 8:30 pm

    Everyone is asking how to display headers or email source WITHOUT opening the email.
    EVERY single response found so far tells people to open the email. Esp on M/S forums. (Interesting to watch b/c “near-miss” responses are usually intentionally dishonest.) Do you have any input or help regarding how to display headers or view email source WITHOUT opening the email?
    One more time b/c everyone ignores it: Question: How can one view email source &/or display headers in basic Outlook 2019 WITHOUT OPENING THE EMAIL AT ALL?
    (Pro-tip: if the answer is “no”, just say that! SO much better than random unrelated trivia!!) Thanks!

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The Experts Behind Technipages

My name is Mitch Bartlett. I've been working in technology for over 20 years in a wide range of tech jobs from Tech Support to Software Testing. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful reference for all.

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