BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is an email specification that displays your brand logo next to authenticated emails in recipients' inboxes. It requires DMARC enforcement at p=quarantine or p=reject and a logo in SVG Tiny PS format published via DNS. Gmail also requires a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC). Apple Mail and Yahoo display logos without a VMC.
What Is BIMI? Complete Guide to Brand Indicators for Message Identification
How BIMI Works
BIMI adds a visual trust signal to email. When a recipient gets your email, their mail client looks up your BIMI DNS record, retrieves your logo, and displays it next to the message. It's the email equivalent of a verified checkmark.
The technical flow:
- Your email arrives and passes DMARC authentication
- The receiving server queries
default._bimi.yourdomain.comfor a TXT record - The record points to your logo URL (and optionally a VMC)
- The mail client displays your logo instead of a generic avatar
Requirements
BIMI has three requirements — no shortcuts:
- DMARC at enforcement: Your domain must have a DMARC policy of
p=quarantineorp=reject - SVG Tiny PS logo: Your logo must be in SVG Tiny PS format — standard SVGs don't work
- DNS record: A TXT record at
default._bimi.yourdomain.com
For Gmail specifically, you also need a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) from DigiCert or Entrust, which requires a registered trademark.
The DNS Record
Type: TXT
Host: default._bimi
Value: v=BIMI1; l=https://example.com/logo.svg; a=https://example.com/cert.pem
l=points to your SVG Tiny PS logo (must be HTTPS)a=points to your VMC certificate (optional for non-Gmail providers)
Practitioner note: BIMI is the carrot that finally gets organizations to finish their DMARC deployment. I've had clients stalled at p=none for a year suddenly find urgency when they see competitor logos showing up in Gmail.
Provider Support
| Provider | BIMI Support | VMC Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | Yes | Yes | Requires registered trademark |
| Yahoo Mail | Yes | No | Earliest adopter |
| Apple Mail | Yes (iOS 16+) | No | Details |
| Fastmail | Yes | No | |
| Outlook | No | N/A | No announced timeline |
Practitioner note: Don't wait for Outlook. Gmail + Apple Mail + Yahoo covers the majority of consumer inboxes. The ROI on BIMI is brand visibility — every email becomes a brand impression.
If you want BIMI set up correctly on the first try — logo format, DNS, VMC, and DMARC enforcement — book a session.
Sources
- BIMI Group: Implementation Guide
- RFC Draft: Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI)
- Google: BIMI Requirements
- Apple: BIMI Support
v1.0 · April 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What does BIMI stand for?
Brand Indicators for Message Identification. It's an email specification that lets domain owners publish a brand logo for display in supporting email clients.
Is BIMI free?
The BIMI standard itself is free — you publish a DNS record pointing to your logo. However, Gmail requires a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) which costs $1,000-1,500/year from DigiCert or Entrust. Apple Mail and Yahoo show logos without a VMC.
Which email providers support BIMI?
Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Apple Mail (iOS 16+, macOS Ventura+), Fastmail, and AOL. Microsoft Outlook does not support BIMI as of 2026. Gmail requires a VMC; the others don't.
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