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Forward Email as Attachment and View/Send Headers of an Email

This document explains how to forward an email as an attachment and how to obtain and email the source of an email message (also referred to as: mail headers).

When you suspect a phishing or spam email message, reporting it to OIT at helpdesk@rice.edu can be helpful. You can forward the message as an attachment or just send the mail headers by following the instructions below.

Contents

Forward the email as an attachment

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  • Using Microsoft Outlook
    •  
      Step 1: Select the email you want to forward, then go to the Home tab. 
       
      Select Outlook email
       
      Step 2: In the Respond group, select More Respond Actions. 
       
      Step 3: Select Forward as an Attachment. 
       
      Forward as Attachment in Outlook
       
      Step 4: In the To: text box, enter the email address of the recipient and send email.
        
  • Using Webmail
    •  
      Step 1: Log in to Webmail.
       
      Step 2: Select the email you want to forward.
       
      Step 3: Go to Forward > As Attachment and send an email.
       
      Forward as attachment in webmail'
       
  • Using Gmail
    •  
      Step 1: Log in to Gmail.
       
      Step 2: Select the email you want to forward.
       
      Step 3: From the Overflow menu (three dots) to the far right of the top of your mailbox, select Forward as Attachment and send an email.
       
      Forward as Attachment in Gmail
  • Using Apple Mail
    •  
      Step 1: Right-click the email you want to forward 
       
      Step 2: Once a drop-down menu appears, select Forward as an attachment and send an email.
       
      Forward as attachment in Apple Mail

 

View and/or Send Headers of an Email

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  •  Rice Webmail 

    • To view the headers:

      1. Log in to Rice Mail 
      2. Select the message you want to view the headers of.
      3. Open the message, 
      4. At the top right, select View Source

      To send the header information:

      1. Select and copy all the text from within the Message details window. Then close the window and paste this information into an email message.

  •  Microsoft Outlook 2019

    • To view the headers:

      1. Launch Outlook
      2. Go to Inbox.
      3. Select and double-click to open the message you want to view the headers of.
      4. Go to File, select Properties (to the right) from the bottom of the list, and the Internet headers will be listed at the bottom. 

      To send the header information:

      1. Select the text in the Internet headers window, and copy all the text from within the Internet headers window. Then close the window and paste this information into an email message.

  •  Outlook for Mac 

    • To view the headers:

      1. Launch Outlook on the Mac
      2. Right-click the message within your folder listing.
      3. Select View Source from the drop-down menu. A window will open showing the header information of the selected message.

      To send the header information:

      1. Select and copy all the text from within the Message details window. Then close the window and paste this information into an email message.

  •  Google Mail 

    • To view the headers:

      1. Log in to Gmail
      2. Open the message you'd like to view headers for.
      3. Click on the More option at the far right of the open message and select Show Original.
      4. Select Copy to Clipboard on the right. 

        To send the header information:

        1. Paste the information from the clipboard to the message.

    •  Apple Mail 

      • To view the headers:

        1. Launch Apple Mail
        2. Click the message you'd like to view headers for.
        3. Go to the View menu.
        4. Select Message > Full Headers.

        The full headers will appear in the window below your inbox.

          To send the header information:

          1. Select and copy all the text from within the 'Message details' window. Then close the window and paste this information into an email message.
        1. Now you can follow steps 1-3 above and then instead of Step 4 change it back to Default Headers

      •  Thunderbird 

        • To view the headers:

          1. Launch Thunderbird
          2. Click the message you'd like to view headers for.
          3. Hold the control key and U (CTRL-U).
          4. A new window will appear with the full text of the message including headers.

          The full headers will appear in the window below your inbox.

            To send the header information:

            1. Select and copy all the text from within the 'Message details' window. Then close the window and paste this information into an email message.

        For more information and support, please contact the OIT Help Desk.


        Keywords:
        microsoft office, outlook, Mac, thunderbird, webmail, rice mail, mail headers, source of information, header, gmail, outlook, google mail, phishing, spam, phish scam report, 
        Doc ID:
        68682
        Owned by:
        NeedsOwner U. in Rice U
        Created:
        2016-11-14
        Updated:
        2023-05-03
        Sites:
        Rice University