Setting/Modify Headers using mail() function

Posted on 16th Feb 2014 by admin

I have a question about setting email headers when using mail() in a php script.

When I send an email from an email account set up domain (using, for example, xxx@MyDomain.net) and then view the header in the email that was received by the recipient account, the "Received:" header reads, in part, as follows:

QuoteReceived: from localhost ([xxx.x.x.x] helo=www.MyDomain.net)
by servername.host.com with esmtpa (Exim 4.69)
(envelope-from <xxx@MyDomain.net>)
id xxxxx-xxxxxxx-xx


However, when I send an email using a script that I am working on that uses the mail() function, I set the "From:" and "Return-path" to an email address I have for my domain (YYY@MyDomain.net). When I look at the header in the email that was received by the recipient account, the "Received:" header has my CPanel user name in it - and that kind of makes me nervous (as my host preaches not to disclose that to anyone). In particular, here is what the "Received:" header looks like:

QuoteReceived: from cPanelUserName by servername.host.com with local (Exim 4.69)
(envelope-from YYY@MyDomain.net)
id xxxxx-xxxxxxx-xx; Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:36:09 -0500


Here is the code snippet I am using to send email and set headers:

Code: //Some additional email headers

$add_headers = 'From: YYY@MyDomain.net' . "rn". "Return-path: YYY@MyDomain.net" . "rn";

mail('XXX@MyDomain.net', $subject , $message , $add_headers, "-f YYY@MyDomain.net");

I have tried to modify the "Received:" header by adding some text to the header via the mail() function (for example, "Received: SOME TEST]"), but it doesn't change the "Received:" header.

Please note, I don't want to make the header fraudulent, but I would prefer not to disclose my cPanel username. I would just like the "Received:" header to resemble the first one quoted above.

I have checked with my host's help desk, they suggested it was not a server issue, but a scripting issue. They suggested I try their scripting forum for assistance. I posted there, but no one there has shed any light on this yet. So, I thought that I would try here.

I tried researching this on the Internet, and thus far I have not found any info on how to successfully modify "Received:" header with mail(). Info I have come across seems to suggest that this is a server issue and not something that can be changed via a script (at least via a script using mail()). If that is the case, I am thinking I should stop looking for a solution using mail(), and take a different approach.

Any suggestions?

Thanks