Detailed guide

BIMI Guide

Brand Indicators for Message Identification

BIMI allows your brand's logo to appear next to emails in the inbox.

What is BIMI?

BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is an email specification that allows organizations to display their official logo next to emails they send in supporting email clients.

Think of it as a digital seal: when someone receives your email, your logo appears next to the message, making your brand instantly recognizable and building trust.

How it looks in practice?

Brand Newsletter

New products available...

Without BIMI, only an initial letter or generic icon appears

Brand Newsletter

New products available...

With BIMI, the official brand logo appears with verified badge

What do you gain with BIMI?

Increased brand recognition

Your logo is immediately visible in the inbox before the email is even opened. This strengthens brand awareness.

Higher open rates

A recognizable logo builds trust and increases the likelihood that the recipient will open the email.

Phishing protection

The authenticated logo helps users distinguish genuine emails from fake phishing attempts.

Competitive advantage

Few companies use BIMI yet, so you can stand out from competitors now.

Prerequisites

DMARC policy: quarantine or reject

BIMI requires the domain to have a DMARC record where the policy is at least p=quarantine or p=reject.

dns

v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:[email protected]

⚠️ p=none is not sufficient for BIMI!

SPF and DKIM properly configured

DMARC operation requires proper SPF and/or DKIM setup and alignment. Both are recommended.

SVG logo in proper format

The logo must be in SVG Tiny Portable/Secure (SVG-PS) format with specific requirements.

Required

Square shape (1:1 aspect ratio)
Maximum 32 KB size
Centered content

Forbidden

No JavaScript
No animation
No external references

VMC certificate (required for Gmail and Apple Mail)

The Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is a digital certificate that proves you are authorized to use the logo. Gmail and Apple Mail require it, while Yahoo Mail and Fastmail display the logo without VMC.

How much does it cost?

Without VMC

Free

Yahoo Mail support
Fastmail
Gmail not supported
Apple Mail not supported

Only BIMI DNS record and SVG logo upload required.

Recommended

With VMC

~$1,500/year

+ trademark registration cost

Gmail support
Apple Mail (iOS 16+)
Yahoo Mail support
Fastmail + Verified badge

Issued by DigiCert or Entrust. Trademark registration required.

VMC prerequisite: trademark registration

To obtain a VMC certificate, the logo must be a registered trademark with a recognized trademark office (e.g., EUIPO, USPTO, WIPO). The trademark registration process can take 6-12 months and involves additional costs (EU trademark: ~€850-1500).

Step by step: Setting up BIMI

Check DMARC settings

Make sure your DMARC policy is at least p=quarantine.

bash

# Check
dig TXT _dmarc.example.com

If you don't have DMARC or have p=none set, you need to change that first. Recommended gradual rollout: none → quarantine (pct=10) → quarantine (pct=100) → reject

Create logo in SVG Tiny PS format

Convert your logo to BIMI-compliant SVG.

xml

1<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
2<svg version="1.2" baseProfile="tiny-ps"
3     xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
4     width="512" height="512"
5     viewBox="0 0 512 512">
6  <title>Company Logo</title>
7  <rect fill="#4F46E5" width="512" height="512" rx="64"/>
8  <text x="256" y="300" text-anchor="middle"
9        fill="white" font-size="200" font-weight="bold">M</text>
10</svg>

💡Tip: Use BIMI Group SVG generator for conversion.Link →

Upload logo to HTTPS server

The logo must be publicly accessible via HTTPS.

bash

https://example.com/brand/logo-bimi.svg

Make sure the server sends proper CORS and Content-Type headers.

(Optional) Obtain VMC certificate

If you want to display the logo on Gmail, a VMC certificate is required.

VMC application requires: registered trademark, domain ownership verification, company documents.

Add BIMI DNS record

Create a TXT record at default._bimi.example.com.

Without VMC:

dns

v=BIMI1; l=https://example.com/brand/logo.svg;

With VMC:

dns

v=BIMI1; l=https://example.com/brand/logo.svg; a=https://example.com/brand/vmc.pem;

DNS record parts:

v=BIMI1BIMI version (required)
l=Logo URL (required)
a=VMC certificate URL (optional)

Verify settings

Use BIMI verification tools to test the configuration.

bash

# DNS check
dig TXT default._bimi.example.com

BIMI Inspector MXToolbox BIMI

Supporting email providers

Gmail

Google Workspace

VMC required

Yahoo Mail

AOL, Verizon

VMC optional

Apple Mail

iOS 16+, macOS Ventura+

VMC required

Fastmail

Full support

VMC optional

Important note

Microsoft Outlook and Office 365 currently do not support BIMI. Microsoft is developing their own system, but there is no announced date for BIMI support.

Frequently asked questions

How long until the logo appears?

After DNS record propagation (1-48 hours), the logo will appear on new emails. It will not appear retroactively on previously sent emails.

Does BIMI work for subdomains?

Yes, a separate BIMI record must be created for each subdomain. For example: default._bimi.marketing.example.com

What happens if the logo URL is unavailable?

If the logo URL is unavailable, the email client simply won't display the logo. The email will still arrive, just without the logo.

Can I change the logo later?

Yes, you can update the SVG file anytime. For VMC, a new certificate will be needed if the logo changes significantly. After DNS TTL expires, the new logo will appear.

Does BIMI affect deliverability?

BIMI itself doesn't directly improve deliverability, but the required DMARC (p=quarantine/reject) does. Additionally, visual appearance can increase open rates and reduce spam reports.

Ready?

Check your email settings

See if your domain is ready for BIMI implementation. We check DMARC, SPF, and DKIM settings.

Start email test DMARC check