The method depends on the version of Outlook. With the exception of Outlook 2003, Outlook displays only the headers, not the full message source. If viewing headers is something you need to do often, use a utility or VBA code to view and copy the headers.
Outlook 2010 | Outlook 2003 / 2007 | Outlook 2002 /2000 | More Information | Tools
Outlook 2010
In Outlook 2010, you need to open the message and either go to the Tags section of the ribbon or go to File, Properties.
Click on the Expand button (highlighted in yellow) in the lower right corner to show the Message options dialog.
You can also add the Message options command to the QAT so you don't need to open the message (and can use a Ctrl+n shortcut).
Video Tutorial
Outlook 2003/2007
Method #1: Right-click the message in the folder view, then choose Options.
Method #2: In an open message, choose View | Options.
With either method, you’ll see the Internet headers portion of the Message Options dialog.
Outlook 2003 gives you the option of adding the SaveAllMIMENotJustHeaders registry key to HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Outlook\Options\Mail to include the message source in the header.
For more information, see View the Message Source in Outlook 2003
Outlook 2000, Outlook 2002
Method #1: Right-click the message in the folder view, then choose Options.
Method #2: In an open message, choose View | Options.
With either method, you’ll see the Internet headers portion of the Message Options dialog.
Outlook 98
In an open message, choose View | Options. Look at the Internet headers portion of the Message Options dialog.
Outlook 97
With the Internet E-mail service (Outlook 97 version 8.02 or later, or Internet Mail Enhancement Patch) or Microsoft Exchange Server service: Open any message and look for Internet headers on the Options tab. If you don’t see the Options tab, choose View | Message Header to display it.
With the older Internet Mail service: Select a message in the folder view, or open a message, then choose File | Properties, and switch to the Internet tab. If you don’t see the Internet tab, choose Tools | Options from the main Outlook menu. Switch to the General tab, and click the Add-In Manager button. Click Add, and select the Minet.ecf. Close all the dialog boxes. You should now be able to view the Internet tab.
Tools
Outlook add-in to allow you to read the plain text version, HTML source, Internet headers, and attachment information, of any incoming message, all from one tabbed interface. Also includes ability to reply and forward HTML messages as plain text, and a "Reply to Some" feature to generate a reply to selected recipients (fewer than "Reply to All"). Free for personal use. Works with Outlook 2000 through Outlook 2010 (32-bit only) and any version of Windows (32- or 64-bit). New release features full ribbon integration with Outlook 2010. |
More Information
- To use the headers to figure out who is sending you junk mail or spam, see Figuring out fake E-Mail & Posts.
- Internet Mail Issues with Microsoft Outlook
- Viewing Outlook’s Internet headers
- View the Message Source in Outlook 2003
- Use VBA and CDO to view or copy the headers (and source). Outlook’s security warning is triggered unless you use Redemption.
- Examples using Redemption
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Last reviewed on Dec 8, 2011
I do find it interesting that MS changed how to view full headers in 2010. Yes, lets open emails that you are concerned about and used to be able to see the header information prior to open. This does not seem very smart in the real world. I would rate this change as a -200 on a 1-10 scale.
Yes, its annoying, but if you add the button to the QAT, its just as fast to access as before, without opening the message. And you’ll get the QAT shortcuts (Alt+number).
Hi Diane, related to this, do you (or does anyone there) know how to search emails for text in the headers, using the Advanced Find feature in Outlook?
Some may know that we can create rules based on values in headers, but there’s no option for “message headers” in the Advanced Find feature, which many folks on the web have asked about, yet no one’s ever answered.
Does anyone at Slipstick (or anyone at all) know if there’s a way to get it to work? It would be really valuable.
(Let me add that some on the web have misunderstood this question, thinking that this is asking for a way to search individual headers. That’s not necessary at all. We would be happy simply to search among all the headers in each message (which not much text at all, as Diane’s entry above will help anyone see if they’ve not noticed before).
Thanks for any thoughts.
Unfortunately, you can’t search the internet headers using advanced find. The work around is to use a rule based on words in the header to add a category to the message.