When you forward an email, the original sender generally cannot see that you forwarded it, nor do they receive any notification about the forwarding. The forwarded email is treated as a new, separate message by your email client, and most email platforms do not have built-in features to alert the sender about forwards. However, the person you forward the email to will usually see the forwarded content, including any original recipients' addresses and email metadata, unless you manually remove these details before sending. Recipients of the forwarded email can see that you forwarded it if the email client includes forwarding headers, but you can edit the message to remove this if you want privacy. Your internet service provider typically cannot see the content of forwarded emails due to encryption, but organizations managing corporate email systems may have access to logs and metadata, including who forwarded what and when. There are exceptions where the sender might detect forwarding:
- If tracking pixels are embedded in the original email, the sender might see unusual open rates, hinting the email was forwarded.
- If read receipts are enabled and supported by your and the recipient's email clients.
- If you accidentally include the original sender or others in the To, CC, or BCC fields during forwarding.
To sum up, normally only the new recipients can see the forwarded email, while the original sender remains unaware unless specific tracking or organizational controls are in place.
