Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) is a standard that allows email providers supporting its use to display your organization’s verified logo next to the sender’s name in the inbox. It works in conjunction with strong authentication protocols, so when your email passes all the necessary checks, recipients see a recognizable mark that signals legitimacy. However, BIMI doesn’t fix reputation issues or poor technical configurations; it’s a visual reward for domains that already demonstrate authenticated, reputable email practices.
Think of BIMI as an added visual trust layer on top of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. With these foundations in place, BIMI can help make your domain’s email trustworthiness immediately visible to your recipients.
Gmail now supports Common Mark Certificates (CMC), allowing brands with a CMC to display their logo even without a registered trademark. For comparison, Gmail’s blue “verified” checkmark remains tied to Verified Mark Certificates (VMC). In summary: CMC enables your logo to show in Gmail; VMC allows the logo plus the blue verified checkmark. (workspaceupdates.googleblog.com)
Apple Mail on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and iCloud.com supports BIMI for senders when their mail provider meets BIMI requirements and vouches for the message. Apple recognizes both VMCs and other BIMI evidence documents provided by email providers. (support.apple.com)
Increases in bounced emails this year might be due to evolving authentication requirements and new sending standards, of which BIMI is just one aspect. For more information, see our article explaining why emails get bounced in 2025 and the delivery rules behind it.
These requirements are essential for your BIMI logo to display across major providers.
Both certificate types serve as “evidence documents” referenced in your BIMI DNS record. Each email provider may handle display and requirements differently.
It’s best to export directly from your vector design tool rather than converting a PNG. Test your SVG with a BIMI validator before publishing. (bimigroup.org)
Your BIMI record is a TXT record published at the selector host default._bimi.yourdomain.com. It points to your SVG logo and, optionally, to an evidence document (VMC or CMC) hosted securely over HTTPS.
Host: default._bimi.example.comType: TXTValue: v=BIMI1; l=https://example.com/bimi/logo.svg; a=https://example.com/bimi/cert.pem;The l= tag designates the URL for your logo. The a= tag refers to a PEM file for your VMC or CMC certificate. Self-asserted records (with an empty a= tag) see limited support, most major providers require a certificate.
After DNS changes propagate, send test emails and verify logo display in supported inboxes. Use online BIMI validators to be sure your record, logo, and certificate are all accessible.
Email providers check both technical configuration and sender reputation, so maintaining good practices remains essential.
BIMI is not a shortcut to good sender reputation. If you’re using a new domain or restarting after a period of inactivity, you’ll still need to build your reputation gradually by sending in small volumes, ensuring consistent authentication, and letting mailbox providers observe normal engagement patterns.
Tools like Mailwarm can help by simulating natural inbox activity across a network of managed mailboxes. Activities like email opening, replying, and marking messages as “not spam” can foster a more robust sender reputation, making it more likely for your BIMI logo to appear in targeted inboxes. This process is about technical domain reputation, not marketing outreach.
Note: Apple Mail shows BIMI logos only when your email provider vouches for the message based on the BIMI specification, coordinate with your provider if logos are not displaying as expected.
Implementing BIMI transforms your domain’s strong sender practices into a visible mark of trust in the inbox. Combine robust technical authentication with careful warm-up, and your branding will become instantly recognizable to recipients.
Need help reviewing your DMARC and BIMI implementation or developing a domain warm-up plan? Consult with deliverability specialists who can help validate your records and guide you through the process of attaining BIMI logo display.
BIMI stands for Brand Indicators for Message Identification. It allows email service providers to display your verified logo next to your email's sender name, enhancing your brand's visibility and trustworthiness if your domain passes authentication checks.
To implement BIMI, ensure that DMARC is set to quarantine or reject with 100% enforcement, SPF and DKIM are aligned with your domain, and your sender reputation is strong.
VMC (Verified Mark Certificate) requires a registered trademark and allows a blue checkmark on Gmail, while CMC (Common Mark Certificate) doesn't require a trademark but doesn't include a blue checkmark. Both serve as evidence documents for BIMI implementation.
Your logo should be exported as an SVG Tiny PS profile, using a square artboard without external resources or embedded raster images. It should be small and optimized to ensure efficient load times.
Create a TXT record located at default._bimi.yourdomain.com that points to your SVG logo and optionally to a certificate. The record should use proper tags like l= for logo URL and a= for certificate URL.
Verify DMARC enforcement, ensure your SVG logo is valid, check if your TXT record resolves correctly, and that URLs are accessible. Test sending emails to supported inboxes and assess any technical or reputation issues.
Email warm-up helps build a positive sender reputation, necessary for BIMI visibility, by gradually increasing email volume and maintaining consistent authentication. Using tools to simulate inbox activity can further enhance your reputation.