{"id":78605,"date":"2024-02-20T14:53:48","date_gmt":"2024-02-20T14:53:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/glossary\/header\/"},"modified":"2026-10-07T15:22:46","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T15:22:46","slug":"header","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/header\/","title":{"rendered":"Header"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A header is the part at the beginning of a text that announces what it’s about or who’s sending it.<\/strong> It can be a title, a line of details or a block with the logo.<\/p>\n\n

You’ll find them in documents, letters, news stories, web pages and emails. In each one it does the same job: orienting readers before they start reading.<\/p>\n\n

What does header mean?<\/h2>\n\n

The Spanish word for header, encabezado, comes from the verb encabezar<\/em>, which means to be at the head of something. That’s why it’s used for whatever goes at the top, the \u201chead\u201d of a page or a message.<\/p>\n\n

The Diccionario de la lengua espa\u00f1ola lists two closely related Spanish words:<\/p>\n\n

Word<\/th>What the dictionary says<\/th>Where it’s used most<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Encabezado<\/td>A newspaper headline<\/td>Especially in Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, Honduras and Uruguay<\/td><\/tr>
Encabezamiento<\/td>The words that, following a set formula, open a document<\/td>In Spain and in administrative language<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

In practice, the two are used as synonyms. You’ll also hear cabecera<\/strong> and, in computing, the English word header<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n

Types of header<\/h2>\n\n

Depending on where it appears, a header changes in form and content:<\/p>\n\n

Type<\/th>Where it is<\/th>What it includes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Document<\/td>In the top margin of every page<\/td>Title, company name, logo, date or page number<\/td><\/tr>
Letter<\/td>At the beginning, before the body text<\/td>Sender’s details, place and date, recipient’s details and greeting<\/td><\/tr>
News story<\/td>Above the text<\/td>Kicker, headline and subheadline<\/td><\/tr>
Web page<\/td>At the top and in each section<\/td>The main title (H1) and section headings (H2 to H6)<\/td><\/tr>
Email<\/td>At the top of the message and in its code<\/td>Sender, recipient, subject, date and technical sending details<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n
\"Where<\/figure>\n\n

The header in a document and in Word<\/h2>\n\n

In a document, the header is the strip in the top margin that repeats on every page. Its counterpart is the footer<\/strong>, which does the same in the bottom margin.<\/p>\n\n

To add one in Word, go to Insert > Header<\/strong> and choose a design. You can also double-click the top margin of the page.<\/p>\n\n

You can set a different header for the first page or for odd and even pages. When you’re done, click Close Header and Footer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

The header of a letter<\/h2>\n\n

In a formal letter or a business letter<\/a>, the header (or heading) brings together the details that come before the body text. Here’s an example:<\/p>\n\n

Part<\/th>Example<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Sender’s letterhead<\/td>Company name, address and phone number<\/td><\/tr>
Place and date<\/td>Madrid, 1 October 2026<\/td><\/tr>
Recipient’s details<\/td>Name, position and company<\/td><\/tr>
Subject or reference<\/td>Subject: collaboration proposal<\/td><\/tr>
Greeting<\/td>Dear Ms Garc\u00eda,<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

In a professional email you don’t need a letterhead or a postal address. Your details go in the email signature<\/a>, at the end of the message.<\/p>\n\n

The header of a news story<\/h2>\n\n

In journalism, the header is the headline: the line in large type that sums up the story. In Mexico and much of Latin America it’s called encabezado, while Spain prefers titular<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n

It usually has three parts: the kicker<\/strong>, a short line that gives context; the headline<\/strong>, with the main idea; and the subheadline<\/strong> or summary, which adds an important detail.<\/p>\n\n

A good headline answers the story’s basic questions, such as who and what. The same applies to a press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Headers on a web page<\/h2>\n\n

On a web page, headers are the headings that organize the content. HTML<\/a> has six levels, from the h1 tag to h6:<\/p>\n\n