Free network tool

Trace Email Source

Extract public relay addresses from raw email headers and turn them into a readable delivery path.

Private by design Lookups run on our server and repeated results are cached to reduce CPU use.
1

Enter your lookup

Sensitive message content is not required. Paste only the technical header section.

2

Delivery path

Your result

Ready

Results will appear here

Run the lookup above to see a visual summary, explanations, copy and sharing options. Raw JSON remains available under Technical data.

01

Beginner steps

  1. Open the original message or raw headers in your email service.
  2. Paste only the technical header section.
  3. Read the oldest public relay first and treat the source as probable, not certain.
02

Understand the limits

Email headers can be incomplete or modified. Never treat a parsed IP as proof of who sent a message.

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Plain-English help

Email trace FAQ for beginners

Does this read my email account?

No. The tool only processes the header text you paste into the form.

Where are full headers in Gmail?

Open the message, choose the three-dot menu, then select Show original.

Can headers be forged?

Some header fields can be altered. Trusted relay-added Received lines are generally more useful than sender-supplied fields.

Why is the sender IP missing?

Webmail, privacy relays and corporate gateways often hide the original client address.