Behind the Send Button: How Emails Actually Work

What Is Email and Why Is It Important?

Email (Electronic Mail) is one of the most widely used tools for digital communication. Whether for work, registering accounts, or personal conversations, almost everyone with internet access has used email. But have you ever wondered how email actually works? What happens when you hit the “Send” button? In this article, we’ll break it down in simple terms, covering everything from how email works to key elements like domains, MX records, email protocols, and more.

How Does Email Work?

At its core, sending an email is similar to mailing a letter. There’s a sender, a recipient, an address, and a system working behind the scenes to make sure the letter arrives.

1. Sending the Email:
   When you compose an email and click “Send,” your email is packaged into digital data and sent using a protocol called SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). SMTP acts as a courier, transferring your message from your device to the sender’s email server.
2. Email’s Journey:
   After reaching the sender’s server, the email is forwarded to the recipient’s server based on the information in the domain’s MX (Mail Exchange) Record. MX records are part of the DNS system and direct emails to the correct email server.
3. Receiving the Email:
   Once the email arrives at the recipient’s server, it uses protocols like POP3 or IMAP to either download the email to the recipient’s device or leave it on the server for access from multiple devices.

Email Domains: More Than Just an Address

Every email address consists of two parts: the username (before the @ symbol) and the domain (after the @ symbol). For example: [email protected].

• Username: A unique identifier for the user at the email provider.
• Domain: Indicates the email server handling the messages. For instance, the domain example.com would direct emails to servers managed by “example.com.”

Using a custom email domain, like [email protected], looks more professional compared to free email services like Gmail.

Important DNS Records for Emails

For your emails to be delivered securely and not end up in the spam folder, several technical configurations are essential:

1. MX Record:
   Specifies the mail servers that should receive emails for a domain. For example, if your domain is example.com, the MX record might point to servers like mail.example.com.
2. SPF (Sender Policy Framework):
   Prevents others from forging emails from your domain. SPF is a list of authorized servers allowed to send emails on your domain’s behalf.
3. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail):
   Adds a “digital signature” to your emails, ensuring that the email has not been altered during transit and that it genuinely comes from your domain.
4. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance):
   Manages how the recipient’s server handles emails that fail SPF and DKIM validation. DMARC protects your domain from phishing and spoofing attacks.

Webmail vs Email Applications

There are two primary ways to access your email:

1. Webmail:
   Using a browser to open emails, such as Gmail or Yahoo Mail. There’s no need to install software; you simply access the provider’s website.
2. Email Applications:
   Using software like Microsoft Outlook or Apple Mail to download and manage emails. These apps connect to email servers using protocols like POP3 or IMAP.

Understanding Email Protocols: SMTP, POP3, and IMAP

1. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol):
   Responsible for sending emails. It acts as a delivery person transferring messages to the recipient’s server.
2. POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3):
   Downloads emails from the server to your device. Once downloaded, emails are usually removed from the server.
3. IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol):
   A modern alternative to POP3, IMAP keeps emails on the server, allowing you to access them from multiple devices.

What Do CC and BCC Mean?

When sending an email, you may notice the fields CC and BCC:

• CC (Carbon Copy):
  Sends a copy of the email to additional recipients. All recipients can see who else received the email.
• BCC (Blind Carbon Copy):
  Works like CC but keeps the recipients hidden from one another. This is useful for privacy.

How Emails Are Sent and Received: Step-by-Step Process

1. You compose an email and hit “Send.”
2. The SMTP protocol sends the email to your sender’s server.
3. The sender’s server looks up the domain’s MX record to determine the recipient’s mail server.
4. The email is transferred to the recipient’s server.
5. The recipient’s server stores the email and delivers it using POP3 or IMAP to the inbox.

Fun Facts About Email

• Over 347 billion emails are sent every day worldwide.
• The first email was sent in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson.
• Gmail, one of the largest email services, has over 1.8 billion users.

Questions to Spark Your Curiosity About Email

1. Why do some emails land in the spam folder even if you know the sender?
2. How do companies like Google and Microsoft handle billions of emails daily?
3. What happens if an MX record for a domain is misconfigured?
4. Why is DMARC essential for protecting your domain from phishing attacks?
5. How do webmail services differ technically from desktop email clients like Outlook?

Understanding how email works doesn’t just make you a smarter user—it empowers you to manage your emails better, whether you’re using a personal account or running a professional domain.

Have you ever explored the technical side of your email? Now’s the perfect time to start!