[ Quick answer ]
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) displays your verified logo next to your emails in supporting inboxes such as Gmail, Apple Mail and Yahoo. It requires DMARC at p=quarantine or p=reject, an SVG Tiny PS logo and, for Gmail and Apple, a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) or Common Mark Certificate (CMC).
Key facts
- ›Published as a TXT record at default._bimi.yourdomain.com.
- ›Record format: v=BIMI1; l=<logo URL>; a=<certificate URL>.
- ›Logo must be SVG Tiny Portable/Secure, square, served over HTTPS.
- ›DMARC must be enforced with pct=100.
- ›VMCs usually require a registered trademark; CMCs do not.
Reviewed 2026-11-02 · EmailAuth research team
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is an email standard that displays your verified brand logo next to your messages in the inbox. To use it you need three things: a DMARC policy set to enforcement (quarantine or reject), a logo in the SVG Tiny Portable/Secure profile, and for major inboxes a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) that proves you own the logo. When those pieces are in place, mailbox providers show your logo, which raises recognition and trust.
How BIMI works
BIMI does not authenticate email on its own. It sits on top of the authentication you already run with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. When a message passes DMARC and your domain enforces a strict policy, the receiving provider looks up your BIMI record, fetches the logo, and confirms it against the VMC. Only then does the logo appear. This chain is why enforcement matters: providers will not display a logo for a domain that still uses p=none.
What BIMI requires
- An enforced DMARC policy of p=quarantine or p=reject, with coverage across your sending sources through aligned SPF and DKIM.
- A logo saved in the SVG Tiny-PS profile: square aspect ratio, a solid background, no scripts, no animation, and no external references.
- A Verified Mark Certificate from an approved certificate authority. Gmail and Apple Mail require a VMC before they will render the logo.
- A DNS TXT record published at default._bimi.yourdomain.com that points to the logo file and, where used, the certificate.
The benefits
A verified logo gives recipients a visual signal before they open anything. That signal tends to lift open rates and makes spoofed copies of your domain easier to spot, because look-alike senders cannot produce your certified mark. BIMI also creates a business reason to finish DMARC enforcement, which closes the door on direct-domain spoofing at the same time. The logo is consistent across supporting clients, so your brand shows up the same way in Gmail, Apple Mail, Yahoo, and Fastmail.
The record format
Example BIMI record
default._bimi.example.com IN TXT "v=BIMI1; l=https://example.com/logo.svg; a=https://example.com/vmc.pem"
Getting BIMI live with EmailAuth
EmailAuth hosts your BIMI, DMARC, and MTA-STS records by CNAME delegation, so you publish once and manage the values from a dashboard instead of editing DNS repeatedly. It includes an SVG Tiny-PS converter and validator that flags a logo failing the profile before you publish, and it reports whether your DMARC policy is strong enough for providers to render the mark. Start with a free domain scan to see where your authentication stands and what BIMI still needs.
Frequently asked questions
Does BIMI require a VMC?
For the largest inboxes, yes. Gmail and Apple Mail will not display your logo without a Verified Mark Certificate from an approved authority. Some other clients render a logo with only the record and file in place, but plan for a VMC if you want broad coverage.
Do I need DMARC enforcement for BIMI?
Yes. Your domain must publish a DMARC policy of quarantine or reject, and your legitimate mail must pass DMARC through aligned SPF or DKIM. Providers ignore BIMI on domains still set to p=none.
Why is my BIMI logo not showing?
The common causes are a DMARC policy still at p=none, a logo that fails the SVG Tiny-PS profile, a missing or expired VMC, or a TXT record published at the wrong host. Validate each piece in order, starting with DMARC enforcement.
Where is the BIMI record published?
At the hostname default._bimi.yourdomain.com as a DNS TXT record. It starts with v=BIMI1 and includes an l= tag for the logo URL and an a= tag for the certificate URL.
What is BIMI?
An email standard that shows your brand logo in the inbox for messages that pass DMARC.
Does Outlook support BIMI?
Microsoft Outlook does not support BIMI as of 2026. Gmail, Apple Mail, Yahoo, AOL, Fastmail and others do.
How much does BIMI cost?
The DNS record is free. A VMC or CMC from an authorized certificate authority typically costs from around 1,000 to 1,500 US dollars a year.
Do I need a VMC for BIMI?
Gmail and Apple Mail need a VMC or CMC. Yahoo can show logos without one for qualifying senders.
How do I check my BIMI record?
Use a BIMI checker to validate the record, logo format, certificate and DMARC enforcement together.
[ BIMI guide ]