Email headers facts for kids
On the Internet, a header is like a special note attached to digital information. Think of it as the address and postage stamp on an envelope you send through regular mail. It tells computers important things about the data being sent.
When you send an email, for example, the header contains details like when the email was sent, who sent it, and who it's going to. This helps the email travel to the right place and lets the receiving computer know what to do with it.
Headers aren't just for emails! When computers talk to each other to show you a webpage or send you a picture, they also send headers. These headers help your computer understand how to display the webpage or what kind of image it is.
What Are Headers?
Headers are small pieces of information that travel with larger chunks of data. They act like labels or instructions. Without headers, computers wouldn't know how to handle the information they receive.
Examples of Headers
Headers are used in many different ways online. Here are a few examples:
Email Headers
When you send an email, its header includes important details like:
- The sender's email address and name.
- The recipient's email address and name.
- The exact time the email was sent.
- The subject of the email.
- The time each computer along the way received the email.
Image Headers
When an image is sent over the internet, its header tells your computer about the picture. This can include:
- The type of image file (like a JPEG or PNG).
- The size of the image (how big it is in pixels).
- The image resolution, which means how clear and detailed the picture is.
- The number of colors used in the image.
Images for kids
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This screenshot shows the "Inbox" page of an email client; users can see new emails and take actions, such as reading, deleting, saving, or responding to these messages.
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The interface of an email client, Thunderbird.
