---
title: "Get a received email's original message"
description: "Get a short-lived, signed URL for the received message's full original MIME (.eml), headers, every part and attachment included. `GET /api/v1/email/received/{id}/raw`"
url: https://www.unitpost.com/docs/email/get-email-received-id-raw
section: "Email API reference"
updated: 2026-10-13
---
# Get a received email's original message

`GET /api/v1/email/received/{id}/raw`

Get a short-lived, signed URL for the received message's full original MIME (`.eml`), headers, every part and attachment included. A body over 256 KB isn't inlined on [Retrieve a received email](https://www.unitpost.com/docs/email/get-email-received-id), so this is how to read it. Download promptly: the URL expires in about 5 minutes. Stored messages are kept 30 days. A copy of an email you sent (`sent_by_us`) is a `403`. Requires the `emails:read` capability.

## Parameters

| Name | In | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `id` | path | string | yes | — |

## Response fields (200)

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `object` | enum | yes | One of: `received_email_raw`. |
| `url` | string | yes | A signed, expiring URL to download the original message (.eml, RFC 5322). |
| `expires_at` | string | yes | ISO 8601 expiry of the signed URL (~5 minutes out). |
| `size_bytes` | integer | yes | The message's size in bytes. |

## Responses

| Status | Description |
| --- | --- |
| 200 | A signed download URL. |
| 401 | Missing or invalid API key. |
| 403 | Insufficient scope, or the email is a copy of one you sent (`forbidden`). |
| 404 | Received email not found. |
| 422 | A query key (this operation takes none). |
| 503 | Inbound storage is not configured / unavailable. |

## Example request

```bash
curl -X GET 'https://www.unitpost.com/api/v1/email/received/email_123/raw' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' \
  -H 'User-Agent: my-app/1.0'
```

## Example response (200)

```json
{
  "object": "received_email_raw",
  "url": "https://example.com",
  "expires_at": "2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
  "size_bytes": 1
}
```

## Links

- HTML reference (with Node.js, Python, Ruby, PHP, Laravel, Go, Java, Rust, .NET and CLI examples): https://www.unitpost.com/docs/email/get-email-received-id-raw
- OpenAPI 3.1 (full schemas): https://www.unitpost.com/api/v1/openapi.json