Email Structure


All emails consist of three main components:

  • Envelope
    • similar to a physical envelope
      • contains the To/From information and the “letter” inside
  • Header
    • mail client only shows the letter
      • comprises the header and body of the message
    • header contains metadata about the message
      • sender’s name and email, date, subject
  • Body
    • the content of the message in the email