How to Determine the Email Address of a Sender

Viewing a sender's email address helps you determine if the email came from someone you know or if it's a spam message. Although the sender's email address is usually displayed prominently on the message, this is not always the case. Some programs, such as Google's Gmail, conceals the address in lieu of a more personal name. Regardless of the program or service you use, there are a few things you can do to determine the sender's email address.

Instructions

1. Open the email message and look at the top for a "From" or "Reply-to" field. The "From" address is the sender's email address, as is the "Reply-to" address. Usually, these addresses are the same, but a sender can configure her email to use a different address for replies.

2. Click "Show details" at the top of the email. This is only present on some email services, such as Gmail. This allows the "From" email, rather than just a personal name, to be displayed at the top of the email.

3. Click "Reply" to reply to the current email, even if you do not intend to send the reply. The sender's email address is almost always displayed in the "To" field of the reply window. If you do not wish to send the reply, click "discard" or "cancel."