What Is BIMI?
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is a standard that lets a verified sender display its brand logo next to emails in supporting inboxes. It requires an enforced DMARC policy and, for some providers, a Verified Mark Certificate — rewarding strong authentication with brand visibility.
BIMI works by publishing a DNS record pointing to your logo (an SVG Tiny P/S file). Supporting providers — including Gmail, Yahoo, and Apple Mail — then show that logo beside your messages, which increases recognition and trust.
BIMI is not a spam filter or a shortcut to the inbox; it is a reward for senders who have already done authentication properly. You must have DMARC at "p=quarantine" or "p=reject" before BIMI will display. For Gmail and Apple, a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) or Common Mark Certificate is also required.
For most cold-email senders, BIMI is a later-stage optimization. Lock down SPF, DKIM, and enforced DMARC first — BIMI becomes relevant once those are solid and you have a trademarked logo to display.
How BIMI works
BIMI is a DNS TXT record published at default._bimi.yourdomain.com. It points to two things: an l= tag with the URL of your logo (an SVG Tiny Portable/Secure file — a strict SVG profile with no scripts or external references), and, for most major inboxes, an a= tag pointing to a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC). When a supporting provider receives a message that passes DMARC at enforcement, it looks up the BIMI record and displays your logo next to the message in the inbox list and, where supported, the avatar slot.
The gate is DMARC. BIMI only displays when your domain has a DMARC policy of p=quarantine or p=reject (not p=none) and the message passes DMARC with alignment. This is deliberate: BIMI is a visible reward for senders who have already locked down authentication, not a filtering mechanism or a shortcut to the inbox.
The VMC requirement adds a real-world identity check. A Verified Mark Certificate proves you own a registered trademark for the logo, issued by an authorized certificate authority after verification. Gmail and Apple Mail require a VMC to show the logo; some providers also accept a Common Mark Certificate (CMC) for logos that are not trademarked but have been in use.
How to set up BIMI
First, reach the prerequisites: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC at p=quarantine or p=reject, with your legitimate mail passing alignment. Then convert your logo to SVG Tiny P/S (square aspect ratio, solid background) and host it at a public HTTPS URL. For Gmail and Apple, obtain a VMC from an authorized CA, which requires a registered trademark for the logo.
Finally, publish the BIMI TXT record with the l= (logo) and a= (VMC) tags. After propagation, supporting inboxes begin showing your logo on authenticated mail. For most cold-outreach senders BIMI is a later-stage optimization — get SPF, DKIM, and enforced DMARC solid first, since those directly drive deliverability while BIMI drives recognition.
What BIMI does and does not do
BIMI improves recognition and trust: a verified logo in the inbox list makes your mail more identifiable and, studies from participating providers suggest, can lift open rates for brands recipients already know. It also raises the bar for spoofers, because displaying your logo requires enforced DMARC that they cannot pass for your domain.
What BIMI does not do is affect filtering. It is display-only — it will not move a message from spam to inbox, will not repair a poor sender reputation, and provides no deliverability boost on its own. It is a visible confirmation that a sender has already done authentication correctly, which is why the prerequisites (enforced DMARC and, for most inboxes, a VMC) exist. Treat BIMI as the finishing touch on a solid authentication stack, not a growth lever in its own right.
Example records
default._bimi.yourdomain.com IN TXT "v=BIMI1; l=https://yourdomain.com/bimi/logo.svg; a=https://yourdomain.com/bimi/vmc.pem"
Requires DMARC at p=quarantine or p=reject before it will display. l= points to an SVG Tiny P/S logo; a= points to the Verified Mark Certificate that Gmail and Apple Mail require.
Frequently asked questions
What is BIMI?
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is a standard that lets a verified sender display its brand logo next to emails in supporting inboxes like Gmail, Yahoo, and Apple Mail. It requires an enforced DMARC policy and, for major providers, a Verified Mark Certificate — rewarding strong authentication with brand visibility.
Does BIMI require DMARC?
Yes. BIMI only displays your logo when your domain has DMARC at p=quarantine or p=reject — a p=none policy is not enough — and the message passes DMARC with alignment. BIMI is a reward for senders who have already enforced authentication, not a replacement for it.
Do I need a VMC for BIMI?
For Gmail and Apple Mail, yes — a Verified Mark Certificate proves you own a registered trademark for the logo and is required for display. Some providers also accept a Common Mark Certificate for non-trademarked logos in prior use. Yahoo has historically shown BIMI logos without a VMC.
What logo format does BIMI need?
BIMI requires an SVG Tiny Portable/Secure (SVG Tiny P/S) file — a restricted SVG profile with no scripts, animation, or external references. The logo should be square with a solid background and hosted at a public HTTPS URL referenced by the l= tag in your BIMI record.
MailPilot helps you reach the DMARC enforcement that BIMI requires by validating your full authentication stack in the DNS health checker.
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