Many email marketers and security professionals ask if BIMI, or Brand Indicators for Message Identification, directly improves email deliverability. It's a valid question, given BIMI's promise of displaying your brand logo right in the recipient's inbox, which intuitively feels like it should help your emails land safely.
The short answer is: BIMI doesn't directly enhance deliverability in the same way that core email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC do. Instead, its influence on deliverability is largely indirect, stemming from its prerequisites and the positive impact it has on brand perception and user engagement.
This article will dive into how BIMI works alongside these critical standards to contribute to a healthier email ecosystem, which, in turn, can positively influence where your emails land.
The foundation: BIMI, DMARC, and email authentication
BIMI does not operate as a standalone email authentication protocol. Instead, it relies heavily on the proper implementation and enforcement of DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance). For BIMI to display your brand logo, your domain must have a DMARC policy set to enforcement, meaning p=quarantine or p=reject. This is a critical point, as it's the DMARC enforcement that provides the security foundation.
DMARC, in turn, depends on SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) being correctly configured and aligned. These three protocols collectively verify that the sender is authorized to send emails from a particular domain and that the email hasn't been tampered with in transit. Without a strong DMARC policy that passes authentication checks, BIMI cannot function, and your logo won't appear.
Therefore, any direct deliverability benefits often attributed to BIMI are, in fact, a result of the rigorous email authentication practices (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) that BIMI mandates. Implementing these standards helps improve your domain reputation and signals to mailbox providers (like Gmail and Yahoo) that your emails are legitimate and safe.
While BIMI doesn't directly impact the technical filtering process, its effect on email engagement metrics can indirectly improve deliverability. When recipients see a verified brand logo next to your email in their inbox, it fosters a sense of trust and familiarity. This visual cue can make your emails stand out in a crowded inbox, increasing the likelihood of them being opened.
Higher open rates and click-through rates are positive signals to mailbox providers that your content is relevant and desired by recipients. These engagement metrics contribute to a stronger sender reputation. A good sender reputation is crucial for deliverability, as it tells ISPs that your emails are generally welcomed and not spam, leading to better inbox placement.
In essence, BIMI acts as a visual trust signal. Mailbox providers like Mailgun have noted that by displaying verified brand logos and checkmarks, BIMI helps recipients quickly identify legitimate emails, thereby increasing trust and engagement. This trust can lead to fewer emails being marked as spam by users, which directly benefits your long-term deliverability.
It's worth noting that this indirect effect is where many of the perceived deliverability improvements come from. When you foster user trust and engagement through visual verification, you improve key metrics that feed into your sender reputation, which is a direct factor in email deliverability.
BIMI best practices
Ensure DMARC compliance: Implement a DMARC policy of p=quarantine or p=reject and ensure SPF and DKIM are correctly configured and aligned.
Use a VMC (Verified Mark Certificate): While not strictly required by all BIMI-supporting clients, a VMC provides the highest level of trust and authentication for your logo.
Optimize your logo: Ensure your logo meets the SVG Tiny P/S profile requirements and is hosted securely.
Potential pitfalls and prerequisites
It's crucial to understand that BIMI is a visual layer on top of email authentication. If your underlying email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is not correctly set up, BIMI won't just fail to display your logo, it might even exacerbate existing deliverability issues. For example, if your DMARC record is not properly aligned, attempting to implement BIMI could highlight these misconfigurations, leading to emails being sent to spam or rejected.
There have been instances where senders noticed a drop in open rates, particularly with BIMI-supporting providers like Google and Yahoo, when attempting BIMI with non-aligned sending domains. This underscores that BIMI acts as a mirror, reflecting the robustness of your underlying authentication. It does not directly change your email deliverability rates, as SendLayer explains. You still need to engage in email best practices.
Without proper DMARC alignment, your BIMI record is effectively useless and could potentially flag your emails if they appear unauthenticated to receiving mail servers. This can lead to your emails being placed on a blocklist (or blacklist) if not addressed, further hindering your deliverability. Always ensure your foundational authentication is solid before implementing BIMI.
Incorrect setup
Attempting BIMI without an enforcing DMARC policy (p=none) or with SPF/DKIM authentication failures.
Using a logo that doesn't meet the stringent SVG Tiny P/S format requirements.
Not obtaining a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) for clients that require it, such as Apple Mail.
Correct setup
First, establish a robust DMARC policy (p=quarantine or p=reject) with SPF and DKIM properly aligned.
Validate your BIMI SVG logo format and ensure it's publicly accessible and meets all specifications.
Secure a VMC from an accredited provider to ensure maximum logo display across supported email clients.
The true driver: DMARC enforcement
The true deliverability boost often comes not from BIMI itself, but from the process of reaching DMARC enforcement. To implement BIMI, you're forced to ensure your DMARC policy is at quarantine or reject. This means you must have confidence that all legitimate emails sent from your domain are properly authenticated via SPF and DKIM and are aligned with your DMARC record. This rigorous approach to email authentication is what truly safeguards your sender reputation.
Enforcing DMARC helps mailbox providers trust your sending domain by instructing them on how to handle unauthenticated emails from your domain. This reduces the likelihood of your legitimate emails being mistaken for phishing or spam and potentially ending up on a blocklist. The implementation of BIMI provides a strong incentive to achieve this level of DMARC maturity.
As Microsoft Learn notes, BIMI allows you to display your brand logo next to your email messages in the recipient's inbox, improving the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns. This visual reinforcement of your brand's legitimacy can increase user engagement, which, as discussed, provides positive feedback loops to mailbox providers, indirectly improving your deliverability.
This holistic approach to email security, where BIMI acts as a visible reward for strong authentication, is what makes it a valuable addition to your deliverability strategy. The benefits of BIMI are intertwined with the discipline of maintaining robust authentication.
DMARC policy
Impact on deliverability
Prerequisites for BIMI
p=none
Monitoring only, no direct enforcement. Doesn't stop spoofing. Little direct impact on deliverability, but provides reports for analysis.
Not sufficient for BIMI display.
p=quarantine
Unauthenticated emails are sent to spam/junk folders. Significantly reduces impersonation, indirectly improving sender reputation and deliverability.
Required for BIMI logo display.
p=reject
Unauthenticated emails are rejected outright. Strongest protection against spoofing, leading to the greatest potential for improved deliverability due to high trust.
Required for BIMI logo display.
In conclusion
BIMI's impact on email deliverability is not direct, but it is certainly beneficial. By requiring strict adherence to DMARC with an enforcing policy, BIMI effectively compels senders to shore up their foundational email authentication. This stronger authentication, coupled with the increased brand trust and engagement that a visible logo provides, creates a positive cycle that contributes to better inbox placement and reduced instances of emails landing on a blocklist (or blacklist).
Implementing BIMI should be seen as part of a broader strategy to achieve email marketing excellence, rather than a magic bullet for deliverability. It reinforces existing best practices and offers a visible reward for sender trustworthiness. Focusing on robust authentication and providing relevant, desired content will always be the most significant factors in ensuring your emails reach the inbox.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Ensure DMARC is fully enforced (p=quarantine or p=reject) before considering BIMI implementation.
Verify all legitimate email sending sources are authenticated with SPF and DKIM.
Regularly monitor your DMARC reports to identify any authentication failures or unauthorized senders.
Test your BIMI implementation across various email clients to ensure consistent logo display.
Prioritize sending relevant and engaging content to maintain high open and click-through rates.
Common pitfalls
Believing BIMI alone will fix existing deliverability problems without addressing authentication.
Implementing BIMI with a DMARC p=none policy, which doesn't provide the necessary enforcement.
Rushing DMARC enforcement without thoroughly analyzing DMARC reports, leading to legitimate emails failing authentication.
Using a logo that doesn't meet the precise SVG Tiny P/S technical specifications for BIMI.
Neglecting sender reputation management, as BIMI is only a visual trust signal, not a reputation builder itself.
Expert tips
Alex, an expert from Email Geeks, suggests that determining a direct deliverability improvement from BIMI alone can be challenging because many users also adjusted their DMARC policies simultaneously.
Ken, an expert from Email Geeks, highlights that the discipline of enforcing DMARC, which BIMI requires, ensures correct SPF and DKIM signing, undoubtedly benefiting deliverability. He also stresses that sending relevant email to engaged recipients is paramount.
Alex (expert) also mentioned that most Mailbox Providers (MBPs) have not indicated a direct deliverability bump from BIMI itself, emphasizing that DMARC adoption is the primary incentive for brand owners.
Vytis (expert) points out that BIMI should indirectly increase brand engagement, potentially leading to improved results in the long run. He noted a case where unaligned sending domains with BIMI saw a drop in opens for Gmail and Yahoo, suggesting the importance of domain alignment.
Matt (expert) clarifies that BIMI has no direct impact on deliverability, but an incorrectly configured DMARC can certainly cause issues.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says it can be difficult to determine a direct deliverability improvement from BIMI because many companies implement or adjust their DMARC policies concurrently, which is the actual driver.
2020-10-22 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says the DMARC enforcement required for BIMI ensures correct SPF and DKIM setup, which inherently improves deliverability. They also emphasize that sending relevant emails to opted-in recipients is the most critical factor.
Gmail and 
Yahoo) that your emails are legitimate and safe.
Mailgun have noted that by displaying verified brand logos and checkmarks, BIMI helps recipients quickly identify legitimate emails, thereby increasing trust and engagement. This trust can lead to fewer emails being marked as spam by users, which directly benefits your long-term deliverability.
Google and Yahoo, when attempting BIMI with non-aligned sending domains. This underscores that BIMI acts as a mirror, reflecting the robustness of your underlying authentication. It does not directly change your email deliverability rates, as SendLayer explains. You still need to engage in email best practices.
Apple Mail.
Microsoft Learn notes, BIMI allows you to display your brand logo next to your email messages in the recipient's inbox, improving the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns. This visual reinforcement of your brand's legitimacy can increase user engagement, which, as discussed, provides positive feedback loops to mailbox providers, indirectly improving your deliverability.
