What Is the From Address in Email?

What is the From Address in email?

The From Address is the email address displayed in the “From” field of a message, showing the sender’s name and domain to the recipient. It represents the visible identity of the sender and is one of the most trusted fields that users rely on to decide whether to open an email. Because of that trust, attackers often spoof or forge the From Address to impersonate legitimate domains and trick recipients into engaging with fraudulent messages.

While the From Address identifies who appears to send the message, it doesn’t necessarily reveal who technically sent it. Behind the scenes, other fields like the “Return-Path” or “Envelope From” determine how mail is delivered. Authentication protocols such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC use these hidden headers to verify whether the From Address is legitimate.

How the From Address Works

When a message is sent, the email header contains multiple addressing fields that serve different purposes:

• From: The display address visible to the recipient (e.g., info@example.com)
• Return-Path: The technical address used by mail servers for bounces and delivery status notifications
• Reply-To: The address replies are sent to, which may differ from the From Address

The From Address is central to DMARC evaluation. Both SPF and DKIM must align with the domain used in the From header for DMARC validation to pass.

Why the From Address Is Important for Preventing Spoofing

The From Address serves as the human-readable identity of the sender, making it a prime target for impersonation. Attackers use spoofed or lookalike From domains to trick users into trusting fake invoices, password resets, or other phishing messages.

Properly authenticating and aligning the From Address ensures:

• Improved trust and credibility of legitimate email
• Protection against domain impersonation and spoofing
• Higher inbox placement and fewer spam rejections
• Compliance with DMARC enforcement policies

From Address and DMARCeye

DMARCeye continuously analyzes the From domains in all messages reported via DMARC. The platform shows which senders align with SPF and DKIM and highlights those that do not, helping identify unauthorized or spoofed messages.

By tracking From Address alignment across different mail sources, DMARCeye gives organizations the visibility they need to enforce DMARC confidently and protect their domain identity from abuse.

Sign up for a free trial of DMARCeye today and secure your email domain.

To learn more about DMARC and DMARC-related terms, explore the DMARCeye Glossary.