BIMI: Brand Indicators for Message Identification Guide

BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is an email specification that displays your brand logo next to authenticated emails in recipient inboxes. It works alongside DMARC to verify sender identity and provides visual confirmation that an email is genuinely from your organization.

Common Use Cases

Display brand logos in Gmail, Yahoo, and Apple Mail inboxes

Increase brand recognition in marketing campaigns

Protect customers from phishing emails spoofing your domain

Build trust with recipients before they open your emails

Differentiate legitimate emails from competitors and spammers

Strengthen overall email authentication posture

Why BIMI Matters

BIMI increases brand visibility and trust directly in the inbox. Recipients can immediately identify legitimate emails from your organization, reducing the risk of phishing attacks being mistaken for your brand. Studies show that emails with visible brand logos receive higher open rates and engagement. BIMI also incentivizes organizations to implement strong email authentication, improving overall email security.

How BIMI Works

BIMI requires a valid DMARC policy set to quarantine or reject. When you send an email, the receiving mail server checks your DMARC record, then looks for a BIMI DNS record containing the URL to your logo file. If authentication passes, the mail client displays your logo alongside the message. Major providers like Gmail also require a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) from a trusted certificate authority to display logos.

Best Practices

Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC before setting up BIMI

Set your DMARC policy to quarantine or reject (p=quarantine or p=reject)

Use a square SVG logo file following BIMI specifications

Obtain a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) for Gmail compatibility

Trademark your logo before applying for a VMC

Host your logo on a secure HTTPS server with high availability

Monitor DMARC reports to ensure authentication passes consistently

Test your BIMI setup with validation tools before full deployment

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the requirements for BIMI?

BIMI requires a valid DMARC record with a policy of quarantine or reject, a properly formatted SVG logo file hosted on HTTPS, and a BIMI DNS record pointing to your logo. For Gmail, you also need a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) from DigiCert or Entrust.

What is a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC)?

A VMC is a digital certificate that validates your organization's ownership of the logo used in BIMI. Gmail requires a VMC to display logos. To obtain one, your logo must be a registered trademark with an intellectual property office.

Which email providers support BIMI?

Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Apple Mail, and Fastmail support BIMI logo display. Microsoft Outlook currently does not support BIMI, though support may be added in the future.

How long does BIMI take to implement?

If you already have DMARC with an enforced policy, BIMI setup takes a few hours. However, obtaining a VMC can take 2-4 weeks due to trademark verification requirements.

BIMI

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