What is BIMI?
BIMI stands for Brand Indicators for Message Identification. It is an email standard that allows organizations to display their official brand logo next to their emails in supporting inbox providers, including Gmail, Apple Mail, Yahoo, and others.
BIMI is not a replacement for email authentication — it is a brand enhancement that builds on top of it. You must have strong authentication in place before BIMI can work.
How BIMI Works
- You host a square SVG Tiny PS version of your logo at a publicly accessible URL.
- (Optional but recommended) Obtain a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) or Common Mark Certificate (CMC).
- Publish a DNS
TXTrecord atdefault._bimi.your-domain.com.
v=BIMI1; l=https://example.com/logo.svg; a=https://example.com/cert.pemBIMI Prerequisites
- SPF, DKIM, and DMARC must all pass with proper alignment.
- DMARC policy must be at least
p=quarantineorp=reject(notp=none). - The logo must be in SVG Tiny 1.2 PS format (not regular SVG or PNG).
- For Gmail, a VMC or CMC is currently required to display the logo. Some providers (like Yahoo) may show unverified logos.
Benefits of BIMI
When implemented successfully, your brand logo appears in the inbox instead of a generic avatar. This provides:
- Stronger brand recognition and trust
- Better visual differentiation in crowded inboxes
- A positive signal of legitimacy to mailbox providers
BIMI works best when combined with solid email authentication (SPF + DKIM + DMARC) and good overall sender reputation.