Phishing attacks, malware distribution, and email spoofing are just some of the headaches most companies experience, when it comes to their email channels.
For most email marketers, or businesses that utilize email as its ultimate marketing channel, emails being sent are the bane of their existence. Hence, crafting an effective email marketing campaign requires familiarization when it comes to the terms and email security protocols.
However, despite undergoing extensive research on different email security regulations most companies still experience phishing attacks, and other cyber threats; and for email marketers it makes it more challenging for them to establish a reputable email domain and address.
Email deliverability systems, such as Warmy.io, and email header analyzers are instrumental in protecting your inbox, and verifying email authenticity. Let us understand this further.
What is an Email Header?
The purpose of email headers is to contain detailed metadata about the email message. Having this technical information aids with routing of email systems, and appropriate processing of email from the sender to the recipient.
Components of an Email Header
- From: The sender’s email address; who sent the email.
- To: The recipient’s email address.
- Subject: The title or topic of the email.
- Date: The timestamp of when the email was sent.
- Message-ID: A unique identifier for the email, used to track the email and avoid duplication.
- Received: A series of fields showing the mail servers that processed the email. This provides a trace of the email’s path, from the sender to the recipient.
- Return-Path: The address to which bounce-back messages (undeliverable emails) are sent.
- Authentication Results: These fields show whether the email passed certain security checks, such as SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance).
Each of these fields provides valuable insight into the email’s journey, helping you verify the legitimacy of the message, and improve your email’s security measure. It also ensures that you are following the appropriate email security protocol that will help you establish a reputable and credible email address and domain.
Importance of Email Header Analysis
Since email headers contain necessary information, about the sender, recipient and the overall data that confirms the validity and legitimacy of the email it can supply objective advantages in email security, and authenticity. Analyzing the header can potentially unmask any red flags that may indicate phishing, or spoofing.
Detecting Phishing and Fraud
Phishing attacks often use deceptive tactics to impersonate trusted senders. Analysis of email headers can help determine if the sender’s domain matches the claimed sender, or if the email has been spoofed. Header analysis can also confirm suspicious emails, or if there are mismatched return-paths or unverifiable IP addresses.
Troubleshooting Sending and Delivery Issues
Even legitimate emails are sent in the spam folder. Analyzing email headers helps uncover the potential reasons why the email was flagged as spam. You can review the “Received” fields, track the email’s route, and spot issues along the way.
Verifying Email Authenticity
Authentication mechanisms like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC help verify whether an email has been sent from a legitimate source. Email header analysis allows you to quickly verify these results and confirm the email’s legitimacy.
Identifying Spam
Spam emails often bypass basic filters by using deceptive methods, such as fake sender addresses. Email header analysis reveals the true origin of the message, helping you spot spam emails that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Having a poor sender reputation can also contribute to why your emails are being sent to spam. Initiating an email deliverability system can avoid these challenges.
Different Email Header Analyzer That You Can Use
Email header analyzers are tools that parse and interpret the complex data found in email headers, making it easier for users to identify potential threats and troubleshoot issues.
Warmy.io
Warmy.io improves your email deliverability with its email warmup feature that gradually increases the number of emails you are sending. This feature makes your email more reputable, and removes your email domain from being blacklisted.
One of its standout features is a free template checker, and sequence builder that avoids your email from being sent to spam. Here are some of its best features.
Optimize Your Cold Outreach: Email Template Checker Explained
Key Features
- Send up to 5000 warm-up emails per day.
- Up to 100 DNS record test
- Up to 100 inbox Placement Tests
- Choose Warmup topic, language and settings
- 24/7 Premium Support: Zoom calls and chat
- Deliverability autotest and academy
- Affiliate Programs
- Earn a 25% recurring commission on sales for every customer referrals
Microsoft Email Header Analyzer
Microsoft offers an email header analyzer tool that helps users decode and analyze the technical details within an email header. It is especially useful for users of Microsoft Outlook and Exchange who need to troubleshoot delivery issues or detect malicious activity.
Key Features:
- Email Header Decoding
- IP Tracing
- Spam Detection
- Authentication Results
Google Email Header Analyzer
Google’s Email Header Analyzer is a great tool for Gmail users looking to analyze email headers for security and troubleshooting purposes. This tool is designed to help users identify phishing attempts, verify the sender, and troubleshoot delivery problems.
Key Features:
- Header Decoding
- Phishing and Spam Detection
- Authentication Checks
- Routing Information
MXToolbox
MXToolbox is a popular email header analyzer tool that provides in-depth insights into email headers and server performance. It is widely used by IT professionals and network administrators to diagnose email delivery issues, check for spam, and monitor email server health.
Key Features:
- Detailed Header Analysis
- Blacklist Checks
- SMTP Diagnostics
- Real-Time Email Monitoring
Email-Toolkit Header Analyzer
Email-Toolkit offers a simple and effective email header analyzer tool. It’s ideal for users who want a quick and straightforward way to decode email headers and detect spam or phishing attempts.
Key Features:
- User-friendly Interface
- Comprehensive Analysis
- Spam Detection
- Free Version Available
Best Practices for Email Security
While email header analyzers are invaluable tools for detecting phishing and spam, it’s important to follow best practices to further strengthen your email security.
- Use Strong Email Authentication: Ensure that your email server is set up with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. These protocols help verify the authenticity of your emails and prevent them from being spoofed.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication: Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your email accounts to prevent unauthorized access.
- Be Cautious of Suspicious Emails: Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from unsolicited or suspicious emails, even if they appear to come from trusted sources.
- Regularly Monitor Email Headers: Use email header analyzers to regularly check the authenticity of incoming emails, especially those from unknown senders.
- Keep Your Software Updated: Ensure that your email client and antivirus software are up-to-date to protect against the latest threats.
Revamping Your Email Header Analyzer Capabilities with Warmy.io
Most companies will employ email security to avoid any spams and potential phishing. Most of these email security systems can determine if your email address and domain is blacklisted. To avoid your emails from being sent to spam, you have to make sure that you have a properly set up email domain.
Having a detailed analysis of your email header is one of the many steps you need to implement to effectively ensure that your email address is removed from the black list, however, it is not going to be complete without a proper email deliverability system.
Warmy.io offers a free email deliverability test capability. This will allow you to understand how many emails are sent to spam, and whether your domain or IP are blacklisted. It also includes free SPF and DMARC Record Generators which reduces the risk of phishing attempts and other email security-related errors.
Here are some of the other benefits of Warmy.io that you can use to revamp your email deliverability and get passed through all those email security protocols.
Template Checker and Sequence Buildup
Warmy’s template checker gives you the ability to take extra consideration of different email security protocols. Our free email template checker allows you to construct your email, and confirm if some of the terms that you used — including your email domain, and header — are spammy, or a potential phishing.
Seed Listing
Warmy’s email seed list provides genuine email addresses from Gmail and Outlook that acts as “seeds” that improves the testing of your email performance. You can send your campaigns to these email addresses and confirm its deliverability. This will allow you to review if there are potential issues in your email address, or domain.
Warm ups
Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and domain servers have an established email security measure for emails that are credible and have great reputation. This can be a huge problem for a new or inactive domain and email addresses, since ISPs and domain servers are unable to confirm if they are credible.
Warmy.io’s best feature is its email warmups that gradually increase the volume of email you are sending to slowly ensure that your emails aren’t blacklisted, or end up in your recipient’s spam folder.
Domain Verification
The free email deliverability test also comes with IP or domain verification. Ensure that your mail server has a correct and healthy setting by verifying up to 100 DNS testing per month. Domain verification, alongside warmups will help improve the reputation of your domains and exclude you from being blacklisted.
Having a reliable email deliverability system, can do more than analyze an email header, it secures your reputation that will improve your email marketing campaigns. Sign up for the 7-day free trial, or book a demo for profitable email marketing.
