Tracing the location of an email sender can be useful for identifying spam, fraud, or harassment. While it’s not possible to get an exact location, you can get close by looking up the sender’s IP address. Here’s a step-by-step guide to tracing an email sender’s location.
Table of Contents
Look Up the Email Header
The first step is accessing the email header, which contains technical routing information about an email, including the sender’s IP address.
To view the header:
- Gmail: Click the arrow next to the reply button > View original
- Outlook: Right click the email > Options > Internet headers
- Other webmail: Check provider’s help section
Once the header is visible, copy all of it to analyze in the next steps.
Analyze the Header with a Tool
Paste the header into an email header analyzer tool. This parses the technical information into an understandable format.
Some recommended free analyzers:
- MX Toolbox
- Message Header Analyzer (for G Suite users)
- WhatIsMyIPAddress
In the analysis results, look for these key pieces of information:
- Received: from – The IP address will be listed here
- By – The server host name
- With – Mail server software used to send the email
Look Up the IP Address
Copy the IP address from the header analysis. Then use an IP lookup tool to retrieve location information.
Enter the IP address and the tool will provide available details, which may include:
- Country
- Region/State
- City
- Latitude and longitude
- Internet service provider (ISP)
This can give you a general idea of where the email was sent from.
Research the ISP
Use the ISP name from the IP lookup to research location info on the provider’s website. ISPs sometimes list what cities or regions they serve.
You can also search the ISP name plus “coverage map” to possibly find a map of their service areas.
Use Social Media
If you have identifying information about the sender, you may be able to lookup their location on social media.
But be aware that location details on platforms like Facebook and Twitter can be easily falsified. Use social media geolocation as a supplemental data point rather than a definitive source.
Consider Legal Options
If the email contains threats, harassment, or signs of fraud, consider contacting law enforcement regarding tracing the sender’s location more definitively through legal channels.
Police/authorities have access to additional geolocation methods and ISP records that can better pinpoint an email sender’s location.
Beware of Limitations
While the above methods can provide possible location clues, there are limitations:
- Information can be falsified or masked by the sender
- Proxy servers and VPNs hide real locations
- ISP data centers may cover large regions
- Geolocation is inherently imprecise to some degree
So it’s usually not possible to definitively identify an exact location and address for an email sender. But following the tracing process can get you closer.
Protect Your Inbox
Here are some tips to improve email security and prevent issues with malicious senders:
Enable two-factor authentication on your email account for an extra layer of login protection.
Never click links or open attachments from an unverified sender. This protects against phishing attempts and malware.
Use email encryption through extensions/add-ons to encode messages in transit. Popular options include TLS, STARTTLS, PGP, and S/MIME encryption.
Install antivirus software and keep apps/operating systems updated to detect the latest email threats.
Hopefully you never have to deal with tracing harassing or fraudulent emails. But if issues arise, use this guide to uncover clues about the sender’s location while keeping your inbox safety top of mind.
