BIMI record: how to display your brand logo in the inbox

BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is an email authentication standard that lets senders show a company logo next to their messages in the recipient's mail client. When a message arrives, the mail provider looks up the BIMI record in the sending domain's DNS, downloads the referenced image, and shows it in place of the default avatar.

How BIMI works

The mechanism sits on top of existing authentication. The receiving mail server checks SPF, DKIM, and DMARC first. If DMARC passes at quarantine or reject level, the server queries the BIMI TXT record at the default._bimi.example.com selector. That record has two fields: a URL pointing to an SVG logo, and an optional URL to a VMC (Verified Mark Certificate). The client downloads the SVG and renders it next to the sender's name. Recipients see a branded logo where a generic initial or placeholder used to be.

DNS record structure

BIMI is published as a TXT record on the default._bimi subdomain of your domain:

v=BIMI1 is the version tag. l= is the logo URL, which must point to an SVG Tiny PS (Portable/Secure) file. a= is the VMC certificate URL. If the provider does not require a VMC, leave the field empty: a=.

DMARC enforcement is required

BIMI does not work without DMARC at enforcement level. Your domain needs a DMARC record with p=quarantine or p=reject. A policy of p=none is not enough — mailbox providers ignore the BIMI record entirely.

This is by design. BIMI is a visual trust indicator. Displaying a brand logo next to unauthenticated mail would defeat the point of the standard. In practice, you need working SPF and DKIM alignment before BIMI becomes relevant.

VMC certificate

A VMC (Verified Mark Certificate) is issued by an accredited certificate authority — DigiCert or Entrust — and confirms that the organization has the right to use a specific logo. To get one, the logo must be a registered trademark in a recognized registry (USPTO, EUIPO, Rospatent, and others).

Gmail requires a VMC. Without it, Google will not show the logo even if the BIMI record is correctly configured. Apple Mail and Yahoo support logo display without a VMC, though having the certificate increases display priority.

VMC pricing runs $1,000 to $1,500 per year. For high-volume senders, that cost is reasonable: a logo in Gmail raises both brand recognition and open rates. For smaller organizations without a registered trademark, a VMC is not yet an option.

SVG logo requirements

BIMI uses the SVG Tiny PS profile, not arbitrary SVG. The main constraints:

• The format must be SVG Tiny 1.2 Portable/Secure. A standard SVG exported from Figma or Illustrator will not work without conversion.
• The image must be square. The logo is centered inside a square container.
• External links, scripts, and animation are not allowed. The file must be entirely self-contained.
• The background must be opaque — transparency is not supported.
• The file must be served over HTTPS with a valid SSL certificate.

The BIMI Group publishes an SVG Conversion Tool for preparing compliant files. BIMI Inspector can verify a finished record.

Provider support

Gmail has supported BIMI since July 2021 but requires a VMC. The logo appears as the sender avatar in both the mobile app and the web client.

Apple Mail added support in iOS 16 and macOS Ventura. A VMC is not required, though its presence triggers a verification badge next to the logo.

Yahoo/AOL were among the earliest BIMI adopters. Display works without a VMC.

Outlook/Microsoft. As of late 2025, Microsoft is testing BIMI in limited rollout. Full support has been announced but is not yet available to all users.

Mail.ru does not support BIMI. It uses its own sender verification system through Postmaster.

Setup steps

1. Confirm SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are configured, and that the DMARC policy is quarantine or reject with alignment passing.
2. Prepare an SVG logo in SVG Tiny PS format. Validate it through the BIMI Group validator.
3. Host the file on an HTTPS server. Keep the URL stable — providers cache the logo, so changing its location after publishing causes display gaps.
4. If your audience is primarily on Gmail, get a VMC through DigiCert or Entrust. You will need a registered trademark to apply.
5. Add the TXT record to DNS: default._bimi.yourdomain.com with the value v=BIMI1; l=LOGO_URL; a=CERT_URL.
6. Check the record with BIMI Inspector or the dig command. DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours.

Effect on deliverability

BIMI itself does not affect whether mail lands in the inbox or spam folder. It is a visual layer, not a filtering signal. The indirect effect, though, is real.

Messages with a logo draw more attention. Entrust and Red Sift report open rate lifts of 10 to 40% for senders with BIMI versus those without. Higher open rates mean better engagement, and engagement is one of the signals providers weigh when ranking messages. The chain runs: BIMI raises open rates, open rates build sender reputation, reputation improves inbox placement.

There is also a direct benefit: getting BIMI working means your domain has DMARC at enforcement level. That protects against spoofing and reduces the chance of landing on blocklists.

Common mistakes

• DMARC at p=none. Providers ignore the BIMI record if DMARC is not at enforcement level. Get DMARC to quarantine or reject first.
• Regular SVG instead of SVG Tiny PS. Providers will not render the logo if the file does not match the spec. Export from a graphic editor requires an extra conversion step.
• HTTP instead of HTTPS. Both the logo URL and the certificate URL must use HTTPS. Unencrypted links are rejected.
• Wrong DNS selector. The record must be at default._bimi, not at _bimi or any other subdomain.