A method and system for highlighting email recipients according to a user's social network are provided. The method includes receiving an email message at a user's email client, the email message having multiple recipients, one of the recipients being the user. The method further includes obtaining a social network list for the user and comparing the social network list for the user with the email message recipients and highlighting recipients in the email message who are also in the social network list. The social network list for a user may be obtained by different methods including using the user's contact resources, or using an aggregating social network system including weighting relationships between contacts.