What Is BIMI? Email Trust and Brand Identity
by
Last Updated:
10 min read
Key Takeaways
- BIMI displays your verified brand logo next to your emails in supported inboxes, making them stand out and increasing engagement.
- BIMI implementation requires a DMARC policy set to “quarantine” or “reject,” reinforcing email security and brand authenticity.
- The logo must be in SVG Tiny 1.2 format, square, and meet BIMI-specific formatting rules; tools like Adobe Illustrator and SVG converter can help prepare it.
- Platforms like PowerDMARC simplify BIMI deployment with hosted solutions, record generation and validation tools, and expert support.
Email inboxes were once a place where people could quickly recognize who a message was really coming from. Today, that trust is much harder to maintain. Brand impersonation, look-alike domains, and phishing emails often appear convincing at first glance, leaving recipients unsure which messages are genuine and which are designed to deceive.
BIMI is an email standard that allows verified brand logos to appear next to authenticated emails in supported inboxes. By showing a trusted visual identifier, BIMI helps recipients quickly recognize legitimate messages and builds confidence in the sender.
In this article, we explain what BIMI is, why it matters, how it works, and what you need to set it up correctly, including logo requirements and the role of DMARC.
What Is BIMI?
BIMI stands for Brand Indicators for Message Identification. It is an email standard that allows organizations to display a verified brand logo alongside their emails in supported inboxes. BIMI works in combination with existing email authentication protocols to confirm that a message comes from a legitimate source before a logo is shown.
As both an email authentication and brand visibility standard, BIMI connects technical verification with visual trust. When a domain meets the required authentication criteria, mailbox providers can display the sender’s official logo next to emails, making it easier for recipients to recognize authentic messages.
BIMI logos appear directly in email inboxes, typically next to the sender’s name or profile image. This visibility helps emails stand out while giving recipients a quick, visual signal that the message has been properly authenticated.
Why Is BIMI Important?
BIMI matters because it directly addresses trust, visibility, and engagement in crowded email inboxes. Instead of abstract benefits, its impact shows up in measurable ways.
- Higher open rates: Brands using BIMI tend to see higher open rates, particularly in inboxes that support logo display, such as Yahoo and Gmail. The logo acts as an immediate trust signal that encourages recipients to open emails they recognize.
- Clear before-and-after visibility: Before BIMI, emails appear with generic initials or inconsistent images pulled from third-party sources. After BIMI, verified brand logos are displayed consistently, making legitimate emails easier to spot and reducing confusion caused by look-alike senders.
- Stronger protection against impersonation: BIMI only works when DMARC is enforced, meaning spoofed emails are blocked before reaching inboxes. This significantly reduces the chances of attackers using your brand name or logo to deceive recipients.
- Industry-specific impact: In financial services, BIMI helps reassure customers during transactional and security-related emails. In retail and e-commerce, logos improve recognition during promotions and order confirmations. In technology and SaaS, BIMI supports brand credibility in onboarding and product communications.
- Improved brand trust at scale: Consistent logo display trains recipients to associate your visual identity with authenticated email. Over time, this reinforces trust and makes suspicious messages without logos easier to question or ignore.
By combining authentication with visual identity, BIMI turns email security into something recipients can actually see, resulting in better engagement, stronger brand recognition, and reduced risk from phishing and spoofing.
How Does BIMI Work?
Think of BIMI like a verified storefront sign on a busy street. When people see a familiar, trusted logo on the door, they feel more confident walking in. In the same way, BIMI adds a verified brand logo to your emails, giving recipients an immediate visual signal that the message comes from a legitimate source.
BIMI works by allowing domain owners to attach their official logo to authenticated emails, which is then displayed directly in supported inboxes. The BIMI specification ensures that this logo is verified, controlled by the brand, and shown consistently across email clients that support the standard. Instead of relying on randomly pulled images or generic icons, recipients see the same trusted logo every time they receive a legitimate email from your domain.
By appearing prominently in the inbox, the BIMI logo draws attention, reinforces brand recognition, and helps distinguish authentic messages from look-alike or impersonated emails. While BIMI strengthens email security behind the scenes through enforced authentication, it also delivers a visible benefit that marketers value: stronger first impressions, clearer brand identity, and increased confidence among recipients.
BIMI Requirements
To display your brand logo using BIMI, several technical and formatting requirements must be met.
- SPF or DKIM must be configured: Your domain must have either SPF or DKIM in place to establish basic email authentication. This step is required before DMARC can be enforced.
- DMARC must be enforced: BIMI requires a DMARC policy set to quarantine or reject. Monitoring-only policies (p=none) are not sufficient, as enforced DMARC ensures only authenticated emails are eligible to display a logo.
- Logo must be in SVG format: BIMI only supports logos in SVG format. SVG files load quickly, scale cleanly across devices, and maintain visual quality in different inbox layouts.
- Logo must be square (1:1 aspect ratio): While the exact size does not matter due to SVG scalability, the logo must be perfectly square to display correctly across supported inboxes.
- SVG must follow the BIMI profile: The logo must comply with the BIMI-specific SVG profile, which is based on SVG Tiny 1.2. Other SVG versions or unsupported elements may prevent the logo from displaying.
Meeting these requirements ensures your logo can be verified and trusted by mailbox providers that support BIMI.
What Are Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs)?
A Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is a digital certificate that proves trademark ownership of a brand’s logo so it can be displayed in supported email inboxes through BIMI. Obtaining a VMC typically involves trademark verification and certificate issuance through an approved authority, with costs commonly ranging from several hundred to a few thousand dollars per year, depending on provider and validation requirements. The process usually takes a few weeks to a couple of months, influenced by trademark status and verification speed.
VMCs strengthen inbox trust by ensuring only verified logos appear next to authenticated emails, helping recipients distinguish legitimate messages from impersonation attempts. They also reinforce consistent brand recognition and are increasingly important as mailbox providers expand BIMI support, most notably where full logo display requires a VMC. To obtain one, organizations must have a registered trademark for the logo and work with a trusted certificate authority (such as DigiCert), often with assistance from platforms like PowerDMARC to streamline validation and deployment.
How to Create and Publish Your BIMI Logo Image
To implement BIMI, you first need to enforce your existing DMARC policy by setting it to either reject or quarantine. Achieving full DMARC compliance is crucial, as it ensures SPF and/or DKIM authentication for all mail using your From domain. This step not only enhances your email security but also builds your reputation as a conscientious sender.
1. Creating your BIMI logo image
Users can prepare their BIMI-compliant logo either manually using Adobe Illustrator, or automatically using a BIMI SVG converter tool.
1. Manual method
You can prepare a BIMI-compliant SVG logo manually using Adobe Illustrator, as long as the file meets BIMI formatting requirements. Start by opening your logo and ensuring it is fully vector-based, with no bitmaps, linked files, or editable text. Any text should be converted to outlines, and all elements should be ungrouped.
Next, place the logo on a square (1:1) canvas using RGB color mode and export it as an uncompressed SVG. During export, select SVG Tiny 1.2 as the profile and keep decimal precision low to reduce file size. Basic code cleanup may be required to meet BIMI specifications.
For step-by-step instructions, export settings, and SVG code cleanup details, refer to our detailed guide on creating a BIMI-compliant SVG logo.
2. Automatic method
Sign up with PowerDMARC for free.
Go to Analysis tools > PowerToolbox
Select Generator Tools > BIMI SVG Converter. Add your image URL/domain name and click Convert.
The tool generates for converted image that you can directly download and use.
2. Creating your BIMI TXT record
Once you have a BIMI-compliant SVG logo, the next step is creating your BIMI DNS record. This record is published as a TXT record in your DNS and tells mailbox providers where to find your verified logo and, if required, your certificate.
You can generate this record using our BIMI Record Generator.
3. Updating your DNS
The BIMI record(s) reside in the “_bimi” space of your DNS, with the default BIMI record being “default._bimi”. The text part holds the identifier of the record version (v=BIMI1), URL to the logo (l=), and URL to the logo certificate (VMC) if available (a=).
Format of the BIMI DNS Entry
The BIMI DNS entry is formatted as a text (TXT) record within the “_bimi” space of your domain’s DNS. This record includes the version identifier, the logo URL, and optionally, the URL for the VMC. The syntax typically starts with the version, followed by the logo URL, and finally, the certificate URL if it’s available.
Real-world Example of a BIMI Record
A complete BIMI record would look like the following:
default._bimi IN TXT “v=BIMI1;l=https://url.to/your.file.svg;a=https://url.to/certificate.pem”
Consider including multiple logos for different use cases if needed, but the “default” selector works for all mail. By following these steps, you’ll successfully implement BIMI, enhancing your email’s brand visibility and trustworthiness.
How to Verify Your BIMI Implementation?
Once your BIMI record is published and your authentication requirements are met, it’s important to verify that everything is working as expected. BIMI verification tools help confirm that your DNS record is correctly formatted, your logo is accessible, and your domain meets the necessary authentication conditions.
When to use this tool:
Use a BIMI verification or lookup tool after publishing or updating your BIMI record, after enforcing your DMARC policy, or if your logo is not appearing in supported inboxes. It’s also useful during troubleshooting, vendor changes, or routine checks to ensure your BIMI setup remains valid and visible.
To verify your BIMI implementation, enter your domain into a BIMI lookup tool and review the results. The tool will highlight record errors, missing requirements, or validation issues, allowing you to correct problems before they affect logo display.
BIMI on Web and Mobile Platforms
When a company implements BIMI, its logo will prominently appear alongside emails in both web and mobile interfaces. This logo’s visibility is consistent across various devices, enhancing brand recognition and trust.
On desktop
For desktop email clients, BIMI ensures that the company logo is displayed beside the sender’s information within the inbox. This allows recipients to easily identify emails from trusted sources at a glance.
On mobile
Mobile email apps also support BIMI, presenting the logo next to the sender’s name. Importantly, mobile interfaces often offer views in both light and dark modes, ensuring that logos appear clearly and distinctively no matter the user’s display preference.
Troubleshooting BIMI Logo Display Errors
To ensure that your BIMI record is functioning properly:
- Check BIMI record: Use our BIMI lookup tool to check your BIMI TXT record. This will help identify any discrepancies that may need addressing.
- Ensure authentication: Use a DMARC checker tool to confirm your authentication is set up correctly. This is a crucial step in maintaining email security and ensuring BIMI compliance.
- Consult the BIMI FAQ: For common issues, the BIMI FAQ section is a valuable resource. It can offer resolutions to problems others have faced, saving you time and effort.
- Check logo format: Make sure your logo is in the proper format using our SVG conversion tool. The right format is essential for your logo to display correctly in email clients.
- Verify that the email provider supports BIMI: While BIMI is widely adopted, not all providers support logo display.
Current BIMI Support Among Email Providers
BIMI is gaining traction among email providers, though it’s not universally live just yet. Here’s a concise update on who’s currently on board:
- Verizon and Yahoo!: These were pioneers, leading the charge in implementing BIMI.
- Gmail: They joined the movement with support since July 2021. Note that they require a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) to participate.
- Apple: Apple Mail supports BIMI in iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura 13 or later, and on iCloud.com.
- AOL, La Poste, and Netscape: All have ongoing public pilots that do not demand a VMC for participation.
- Fastmail: Fastmail supports BIMI for both received and sent emails.
View more email providers that support BIMI.
How are BIMI and DMARC Connected
BIMI requires DMARC enforcement because mailbox providers only display brand logos when they can confidently confirm the sender’s identity. An enforced DMARC policy (quarantine or reject) ensures that unauthenticated emails are blocked before reaching inboxes, reducing the risk of brand impersonation. Without DMARC enforcement, there is no reliable way to guarantee that a logo is tied to a legitimate sender.
DMARC itself relies on SPF and DKIM to evaluate whether an email is legitimate. SPF verifies that the sending server is authorized, while DKIM confirms that the message content has not been altered. DMARC then checks whether at least one of these mechanisms aligns with the domain shown in the visible “From” address and applies the policy defined by the domain owner.
At a conceptual level, BIMI sits on top of this authentication framework. SPF and DKIM establish technical legitimacy, DMARC enforces trust decisions, and BIMI adds a visual signal once that trust is confirmed. Alignment across these protocols ensures that only authenticated, policy-compliant emails can display a brand logo, tying visual identity directly to verified email security.
Final Words
Creating a BIMI-compliant SVG logo might take a few extra steps, but the payoff is well worth it. With your logo proudly displayed next to your emails, you boost brand visibility, enhance recipient trust, and reduce the chances of phishing and spoofing.
But the process doesn’t have to be quite so complicated. Get started with PowerDMARC’s hosted BIMI services today to enjoy hassle-free BIMI implementation and logo display. We do the heavy lifting, so you don’t have to! Contact us today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How does BIMI help subscribers avoid phishing attempts?
While BIMI does not directly prevent phishing, it enforces DMARC, enabling domain owners to take action against phishing emails from unauthorized sources.
What are some methods to display logos in email inboxes without full BIMI compliance?
There are a couple of alternative methods that can display logos without complete adherence to BIMI standards.
- Google Annotations: By utilizing Google Annotations, senders can enrich their emails with visual elements, including logos, even if they haven’t fully embraced BIMI protocols. However, this only works for Gmail users and only in the Promotions tab, and requires registration via Google Postmaster Tools.
- Google Profile Images: Another simple tactic involves setting a Google account profile image for the email address being used. This picture appears as the sender’s logo within Gmail and can serve as an immediate visual cue for recipients. However, visibility is limited and inconsistent. This image may not appear for all recipients.
Although these methods can mimic the appeal of a BIMI-authenticated logo, they do not provide the added layer of security that BIMI offers.
What is the impact of BIMI on email visibility and engagement?
By displaying a brand’s logo in email inboxes, BIMI helps messages stand out, which can lead to higher open rates and increased engagement from recipients.
How does BIMI align the interests of marketers and security professionals?
BIMI creates a unique synergy between marketing and security by simultaneously enhancing brand visibility and bolstering email security, aligning the goals of both departments.
Domain & Email Security Expert at PowerDMARC
Yunes is an Operations Team Lead at PowerDMARC with expert knowledge in email authentication and security. Yunes is a Microsoft-certified Azure Administrator Associate with certifications in CompTIA A+ and many more.
Latest posts by Yunes Tarada (see all)
