How do I find the headers of a cold email?
- Gmail: open the email, click the three dots, then "Show original". Copy everything above the message text.
- Outlook (web): open the email, click the three dots, then "View", then "View message source".
- Outlook (desktop): open the email, then File, Properties, and copy the "Internet headers" box.
- Apple Mail: View, Message, All Headers.
Use the copy in the recipient's inbox. The copy in your Sent folder has not been through a receiving server, so it has no authentication results. To test your own cold email, send one to a colleague or a free inbox and analyze that.
What does an email header analyzer show for cold email?
The receiving server writes its verdict into an Authentication-Results header: whether SPF passed for the return-path domain, whether a DKIM signature verified and which domain signed it, and whether DMARC passed for the From domain. The analyzer reads that line, checks the domains line up, and lists every Received hop oldest first, so you can see where a slow email waited. Our guide to SPF, DKIM and DMARC explains each result.
Why does SPF pass but DMARC fail in my email headers?
Because SPF passed for a different domain. Many sending tools use their own return-path, so SPF passes for them and not for you. DMARC only counts an SPF or DKIM pass for the domain in your From line. The fix is DKIM signed with your own domain. See fixing DMARC fail.
Can email headers tell me if my cold email went to spam?
Not directly. Headers show authentication and routing, and some providers add spam scores of their own, but the folder decision is not written in a standard header. To see where your cold email lands, use the deliverability test and the method in checking if cold emails go to spam.