Does BIMI directly improve email deliverability?

BIMI doesn't directly improve email deliverability, as it's a visual indicator built on top of existing authentication protocols like DMARC, SPF, and DKIM. However, by increasing recipient trust and engagement, it can indirectly signal positive sender reputation to mailbox providers. Strong email authentication is the foundation for good deliverability, and BIMI is a visible outcome of that.

What are the core requirements to implement BIMI?

The core requirements for BIMI include having a DMARC policy enforced (p=quarantine or p=reject), possessing a trademarked logo, converting your logo to a specific SVG Tiny 1.2 format, and obtaining a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) from an accredited Certificate Authority for some mailbox providers like Gmail and Apple Mail.

What is a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) and why is it needed?

A VMC is a digital certificate that cryptographically verifies the ownership of your trademarked logo. It's needed because some major mailbox providers, such as Google and Apple, require this additional layer of verification to display your logo in their inboxes, ensuring that only legitimate brands can use BIMI.

How long does it take to implement BIMI?

The timeline for BIMI implementation can vary. If your email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is already robust and your logo is trademarked, it might only take weeks. However, if you need to establish a DMARC enforcement policy or obtain a trademark, the process can extend to several months due to the legal and technical steps involved.

What are the benefits and requirements of BIMI for email deliverability and branding? - Technical - Email deliverability - Knowledge base

In the ever-evolving landscape of email, getting your messages to the inbox is only half the battle. Once there, standing out and building recipient trust are crucial. This is where Brand Indicators for Message Identification, or BIMI, comes into play. It's an email specification that allows organizations to display their brand logo next to their authenticated email messages in supporting inboxes.

BIMI is essentially a visual sign of trust. It builds upon strong email authentication protocols like DMARC, SPF, and DKIM, acting as a visible reward for having these foundational layers in place. While it doesn't directly dictate email delivery, its impact on user perception and engagement can indirectly influence how mailbox providers view your sending reputation.

Implementing BIMI is a strategic move for any sender serious about their email program. It goes beyond simple email marketing, touching upon brand identity, security, and ultimately, the recipient experience. Let's delve into the specific advantages it offers and the prerequisites you need to meet to enable it.

Benefits for branding and engagement

One of the most immediate and impactful benefits of BIMI is the enhanced brand visibility and recognition it provides. Your brand logo appears directly in the recipient's inbox, often next to the sender's name. This simple visual cue helps your emails stand out in a crowded inbox, making them instantly recognizable.

Increased trust and engagement

A verified logo signals to recipients that the email is legitimate and comes from an authenticated sender, building a higher level of trust. This visual validation can lead to improved open rates and overall email engagement.

Brand recognition: Your logo is prominently displayed, reinforcing your brand identity with every email.
User experience: A consistent and branded experience across all touchpoints, including the inbox.
Competitive advantage: Stand out from competitors who haven't adopted BIMI, making your emails more attractive and trustworthy.

This direct visual connection helps build stronger customer relationships and generates a more positive user experience. Some studies suggest that BIMI can improve email engagement metrics, such as open rates, because recipients are more likely to interact with emails they trust.

Enhancing email security and authentication

While BIMI itself is not an authentication protocol, it acts as a visual confirmation that an email has successfully passed DMARC authentication. This means the sender's identity has been verified, making it significantly harder for malicious actors to spoof your brand. For BIMI to work, you must have a DMARC policy set to enforcement (p=quarantine or p=reject).

Before BIMI

Lower trust: Recipients must rely solely on sender name and email address to assess legitimacy.
Phishing risk: Easier for imposters to spoof your domain and send fraudulent emails.

With BIMI

Visual trust signal: Logo confirms authenticity, helping users identify genuine messages.
Anti-spoofing: Reduces the effectiveness of phishing and spoofing attacks by visually differentiating legitimate mail.

This added layer of visual authentication safeguards your brand's reputation and protects your recipients from malicious email campaigns. By making it clear which emails are truly from your organization, BIMI contributes to a safer email ecosystem for everyone. This can indirectly help with your overall deliverability because mailbox providers like

Google and

Yahoo favor authenticated senders. Find out more about how BIMI impacts deliverability.

Essential requirements for BIMI implementation

Implementing BIMI involves meeting several technical and legal requirements. The foundation is a robust email authentication setup. You must have Sender Policy Framework (SPF), DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM), and DMARC properly configured for your sending domain. Specifically, your DMARC policy must be at an enforcement level, such as 'quarantine' or 'reject', not 'p=none'.

Requirement	Description
DMARC enforcement
Your DMARC record must have a policy of p=quarantine or p=reject for the organizational domain.
Trademarked logo
Your logo must be a registered trademark to be eligible for a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC).
SVG Tiny 1.2 file
The logo must be in a specific SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format, hosted on a secure web server (HTTPS).
Verified Mark Certificate (VMC)
Required by some mailbox providers, like Google and Apple, to verify trademark ownership.

The VMC is particularly important as it adds an extra layer of verification, ensuring that the logo displayed is indeed owned by your organization. This certificate links your verified, trademarked logo to your authenticated email domain. Understanding these BIMI requirements and implementation steps is key.

The implementation process and associated costs

The implementation process for BIMI can be broken down into several stages. First, ensure your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly configured and your DMARC policy is at an enforcement level. If your DMARC is not at an enforcement policy yet, we recommend moving to quarantine or reject and monitoring your DMARC reports closely to ensure no legitimate mail is affected.

Example BIMI DNS recordDNS

default._bimi.yourdomain.com IN TXT "v=BIMI1;l=https://yourdomain.com/yourlogo.svg;a=https://yourdomain.com/yourvmc.pem;"

Next, your logo needs to be trademarked. This can be a lengthy process if not already done. Once trademarked, you'll need to obtain a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) from an accredited Certificate Authority. These certificates can cost around $1,000-$1,500 per year, which is a significant investment for some organizations. For more on the costs and steps, refer to our guide on implementing BIMI. Lastly, you publish a BIMI DNS record that points to your SVG logo file and your VMC file.

While the process can be involved, particularly with the trademarking and VMC acquisition, the long-term benefits for brand trust and differentiation often outweigh the initial effort. It’s an investment in your brand's future in the inbox. You can also explore how to display your logo in Gmail and Yahoo Mail specifically.

Views from the trenches

Best practices

Ensure your DMARC policy is at 'quarantine' or 'reject' before pursuing BIMI, as it's a prerequisite for VMC.

Trademark your logo early in the process; this can be the most time-consuming step.

Work closely with your IT and marketing teams to ensure all technical and branding requirements are met.

Validate your SVG logo file and BIMI DNS record carefully to prevent display issues.

Regularly monitor BIMI adoption rates among your audience to gauge the effectiveness of your implementation.

Common pitfalls

Attempting BIMI implementation without a DMARC policy at enforcement, which will prevent logo display.

Using a logo that is not federally trademarked, making it ineligible for a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC).

Underestimating the time and cost involved in obtaining a trademark and a VMC.

Incorrectly formatting the SVG logo file or the BIMI DNS record, leading to display failures.

Expecting a direct, immediate improvement in email deliverability solely from BIMI without strong authentication.

Expert tips

BIMI is not a direct deliverability booster, but strong authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is.

Use the 'carrot' of BIMI (visual branding) to get internal buy-in for DMARC implementation.

There's never a bad time to get your logo in front of a customer, enhancing brand recall.

The VMC process can be extended beyond just the financial cost.

Ensure your logo is trademarked; otherwise, the VMC process will be prolonged and frustrating.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks says BIMI is the reward for properly implementing DMARC, allowing you to display your trademarked brand logo next to authenticated emails.

2023-11-30 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks says BIMI does not directly improve deliverability, but authentication provides the deliverability that a sender deserves.

2023-11-30 - Email Geeks

Our final thoughts

BIMI offers compelling benefits for organizations looking to enhance their email marketing and security posture. While it requires adherence to strict authentication standards and can involve additional costs for a Verified Mark Certificate, the advantages in terms of brand visibility, recipient trust, and defense against impersonation are substantial.

By committing to BIMI, you're not just displaying a logo; you're visibly asserting your authenticity in every inbox, improving your brand's perception, and contributing to a safer email environment for your customers. It's a key step in modern email deliverability and branding.