From
Description
The From request header is used to indicate the email address of the user
making the request. It is primarily intended for use by automated clients, such
as crawlers or bots, to provide a way for the server to contact the person
responsible for the request if necessary.
This header is typically used in web scraping, automated data collection, and other situations where a user agent may want to provide contact information. However, many modern clients and browsers do not send this header by default due to privacy concerns.
Syntax
The syntax of the From header follows this structure:
<email-address>:
The email address of the user or administrator responsible for the request.
Example Syntax
From: [email protected]
Examples
Web Crawler Identifying Itself
A web crawler making an HTTP request can include the From header to provide a
contact email:
GET /robots.txt HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com
User-Agent: MyWebCrawler/1.0
From: [email protected]
This allows website administrators to contact the owner of the crawler if issues arise.
API Client Providing Contact Information
An API client sending a request can include a From header for accountability:
POST /api/data HTTP/1.1
Host: api.example.com
From: [email protected]
Content-Type: application/json
{"query": "data"}
This informs the API provider who to contact if necessary.
Summary
The From request header provides a way for automated clients to specify an
email address for administrative contact. While useful for transparency in web
crawling and API interactions, it is rarely used in modern web applications due
to privacy and security concerns. When used, it should contain a valid and
monitored email address to facilitate communication with server administrators.