What is BIMI? (Brand Indicators for Message Identification)
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is a standard that lets a domain with an enforced DMARC policy publish its logo in DNS, so participating mailbox providers can display that logo next to authenticated messages in the inbox.
How BIMI works
BIMI is a DNS TXT record, normally at default._bimi.yourdomain.com, that points to your logo and, optionally, to a certificate proving you own it:
default._bimi.yourdomain.com. TXT "v=BIMI1; l=https://yourdomain.com/logo.svg; a=https://yourdomain.com/vmc.pem"When a message from your domain passes DMARC, a participating mailbox provider looks up the record, validates the logo (and the certificate, if it requires one) and shows the logo next to the message in the inbox.
The prerequisites
- DMARC at enforcement. The domain needs
p=quarantineorp=reject, applied to all mail (no reducedpct). BIMI is not available to a domain onp=none. - An SVG in the right profile. The logo must be an SVG in the restricted “SVG Tiny Portable/Secure” profile, square, and served over HTTPS. A normal SVG export from a design tool usually has to be converted.
- A mark certificate, for most large providers. Gmail and Apple Mail require a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC), which is tied to a registered trademark, or — for Gmail — a Common Mark Certificate (CMC). Both are issued by a small number of certificate authorities and renewed yearly.
Is it worth it?
BIMI does not improve inbox placement on its own; mail that would go to spam still goes to spam. Its value is recognition and trust in the inbox. The more useful side effect is that it gives teams a concrete reason to move DMARC to enforcement, which does protect the domain against spoofing.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need DMARC for BIMI?
Yes. BIMI only works for a domain whose DMARC policy is at enforcement — p=quarantine or p=reject, applied to all mail. A domain on p=none is not eligible.
Do I need a Verified Mark Certificate?
For Gmail and Apple Mail, yes: they require a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC), which is tied to a registered trademark, or for Gmail alternatively a Common Mark Certificate (CMC). Some other providers display BIMI logos without a certificate.
Does BIMI improve deliverability?
Not directly. BIMI changes how an authenticated message looks, not whether it reaches the inbox. The indirect benefit is that it requires DMARC enforcement, which protects your domain from spoofing.