If you've ever watched a crime drama or murder mystery, you've probably seen detectives tracking criminals using their IP addresses. 

This guide will cover how to find a sender's email IP address and determine whether or not to trust an incoming email.

What is an email IP address?

We use various electronic communication tools that require internet access. When these devices — such as desktop computers, smartphones, and laptops — connect to a network, internet service providers assign a unique identifier known as an internet protocol (IP) address. 

What's the significance of an email IP address? While device IP addresses can change based on where they connect to the internet, email IP addresses are fixed. You can recognize an email IP address by its signature form: a string of four numbers separated by a period.

IP addresses virtually mark the email server that sends and receives your messages. They also play a role in routing incoming messages to corresponding destinations. Receiving servers evaluate incoming emails and their originating IP addresses to determine if a message belongs in the inbox or the spam folder. 

What information does an email IP address reveal? 

It's not as easy to pinpoint a sender's location or personal information as the crime shows portray. 

A sender's email IP address can suggest a potential geographical area. But the network type, internet service provider information, and rough location may not correspond to the actual sender at all. 

For example, Gmail and Microsoft Outlook protect their email clients' privacy by shielding the sender’s email IP address. An IP address analyzer will only reveal the characteristics of the email service, not the sender. In other words, the location of Gmail's or Outlook's email servers may or may not correspond to the sender's location. 

How to trace a sender using their email IP address

Use the following steps to find an email IP address and trace a sender using an IP address lookup tool or an email header tracer: 

1. Open the email

Email tracking using a sender's email IP address requires opening the message you received. If you're suspicious about a particular email, it's best to mark the message spam and let your email filters do the rest. 

2. Locate the email's technical details 

Find either the email header, "Received: from" line, or the IP address itself.

Every email service provider organizes their menus differently. Here are the specific steps to find the technical details in Gmail, Apple Mail, Microsoft Outlook, and Yahoo! Mail:

• Gmail: Click the three dots stacked on one another and choose "Show Original."
• Apple Mail: Select "Message" and "Raw Source."
• Microsoft Outlook: Navigate to "Actions" and "View Message Source."
• Yahoo! Mail: Choose "More" and "View Full Header."

The process is similar across email providers. However, the email header or "Received: from" line may look slightly different. For example, the email header may call out the IP address specifically or simply list the actual address.

3. Find the email header

An email header differs from the subject line or any component you typically see when viewing an email. Instead, it contains information about who sent the email, where it came from, and the servers through which it passed before it reached you. You'll find the sender's email IP address within this email header.

Similarly, the final "Received: from" line in the string traces the email's path from the sender to the recipient. In some cases, the "Received: from" line that indicates the sender's email IP address is located at the very top, whereas other email services list it at the bottom. 

Gmail inboxes, for example, do the hard work for you, placing the sender's email IP address on the sixth line in the email header in a row designated "SPF." 

4. Use an IP address lookup tool or email header tracer

An email IP address is the key to tracing a message to a general area, not necessarily the sender's exact location. If you have an Outlook email account or a Gmail account, you can navigate to their native IP address tools — the Google Admin Toolbox Messageheader and Microsoft's Message Header Analyzer. 

Tracing a sender using their email IP address with a Yahoo! Mail or Apple Mail email header requires a third-party email header analyzer or IP address lookup device. 

Why trace a sender using an email IP address?

You can trace a sender's IP address to verify them as a trusted source, block annoying spam notifications, or simply satisfy your own curiosity. 

Companies also implement email tracking tools into their CRM platforms and email marketing campaigns to track email open rates and click-through rates, gauge outreach metrics, and provide other valuable insights into an email campaign's tracking pixels and link clicks. IP address tracing can also help network administrators monitor for security threats.

Beyond email tracking software and sales, email IP address tracing also helps law enforcement investigate cybercrimes.

The final word

Verifying the senders of the emails you receive can help protect your inbox from spam and keep it tidy for a more organized workflow. 

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