An email envelope is the technical information contained within an email; it is usually hidden and includes details such as the sender and recipient’s address, date, message ID, email subject line, time of sending, and routing information. This information may not be directly visible to recipients, but it plays a crucial role in email delivery, tracking, and routing. It helps to prevent spam and helps marketers access the performance of their email campaigns and email deliverability.
How Does an Email Envelope Affect Delivery?
The email envelope is essential in delivering an email message. It contains the necessary metadata that email servers need to route and deliver emails, and it acts as a guide through the complex networks of servers and systems to ensure that the email gets to the right inbox.
One vital aspect affected by the email envelope is spam filtering; email servers use information from the envelope to determine the trustworthiness and legitimacy of an incoming email. If the sender’s IP or email address has been associated with spam or has a low IP reputation, it will be flagged and sent to the spam folder.
Similarly, discrepancies or inconsistencies in the routing information provided by the email envelope can trigger the spam filter and truncate the delivery.
In addition, authentication systems such as DKIM, SPF and DMARC rely on the email envelope to verify an email sender’s authenticity before allowing the mail to get to the recipient’s inbox. This can help prevent phishing attacks and spoofing.
What is the Difference Between an Email Envelope and an Email Header
Think of an email envelope as the outer packaging of an email; it contains the information the email needs to reach its destination. The information is hidden from the recipient’s view, but, it is needed for the email to be correctly routed through the internet until it reaches the destination server and the recipient’s inbox.
On the other hand, email headers are the visible information of an email. The recipients can see them when they open their inbox. They contain information such as the subject line, sender’s name, time stamp, tracking or authentication information, and so on. Unlike the email envelope, which is only needed for the logistics of the email, the email header can help understand the email message and its sender.