Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) is a powerful email standard that allows your brand's logo to appear next to your authenticated emails in supported inboxes. It's a significant step towards enhancing brand recognition and building trust with your recipients. However, to leverage BIMI effectively, your logo must meet very specific technical criteria, particularly regarding its image format.
The core requirement for a BIMI logo is that it must be in a specific type of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format. Unlike traditional raster images like JPG or PNG, SVG images are vector-based, meaning they are resolution-independent and can scale without losing quality. This is crucial for display across various email clients and devices, ensuring your logo always looks crisp and professional.
Simply converting your logo to a standard SVG file isn't enough, though. BIMI demands a highly constrained and secure version of SVG, known as SVG Tiny Portable/Secure (SVG P/S). This specification is designed to prevent malicious code or external references from being embedded in your logo, which could pose security risks. Understanding these precise requirements is key to successful BIMI implementation and getting your logo to display correctly.
The essential SVG P/S format
The essential SVG P/S format
The primary image format for BIMI logos is SVG Tiny 1.2, specifically adhering to the "P/S" (Portable/Secure) profile. This isn't just any SVG, it's a highly restricted subset of the SVG specification. The purpose of this strict format is to minimize security vulnerabilities, ensure consistent rendering across various email clients, and prevent any potentially harmful or unpredictable elements from being introduced.
Key attributes that must be present in your SVG P/S file include baseProfile="tiny-ps" and version="1.2" within the <svg> tag. These declarations explicitly tell email clients that the SVG file conforms to the BIMI Group's security and rendering guidelines. Without these, your logo will not be considered BIMI compliant.
This specific profile removes many complex SVG features that could be exploited or lead to inconsistent displays. For example, interactive elements, scripting, and external resource loading are strictly forbidden. This streamlined approach ensures that the BIMI logo is a static, reliable visual identifier for your brand, enhancing trust and security for every email.
Common SVG formatting pitfalls
Incorrect baseProfile or version attributes will cause your logo to fail validation.
Exceeding file size (typically 32KB) can prevent the logo from loading.
Including scripts or external references is strictly forbidden and will result in validation failure.
Using non-square dimensions or inconsistent aspect ratios can lead to distorted display.
Key technical requirements for your BIMI SVG
Key technical requirements for your BIMI SVG
Beyond the SVG P/S profile, several other technical considerations are critical. Your SVG file must be under 32KB in size to ensure quick loading times and compatibility across various platforms. The logo itself should be designed with a square aspect ratio. While the SVG format allows for various shapes, most email clients will display the BIMI logo within a square space, so a square design will prevent unwanted cropping or scaling. For more details on optimal dimensions, you can refer to our guide on BIMI SVG image size.
Another crucial element is the inclusion of a <title> element within the SVG. This title provides a descriptive name for your logo, which can aid accessibility and provide context to email clients. It’s also vital that the SVG contains no external links, scripts, or animations. These features are potential security risks and are strictly disallowed. Google provides a helpful resource on creating a BIMI SVG file with detailed steps.
To ensure maximum compatibility and avoid unexpected rendering issues, it's recommended to simplify your SVG code as much as possible. Remove any unnecessary metadata, comments, or unused definitions. The goal is a clean, minimalist SVG that focuses solely on rendering your brand's logo. You can find more information about these technical requirements in our article on BIMI SVG image requirements.
Mandatory SVG elements
SVG Tiny 1.2 baseProfile.
A square aspect ratio for consistent display.
File size under 32KB for optimal loading.
A <title> element for accessibility and context.
Prohibited SVG elements
External references (e.g., links to external images, stylesheets).
Scripting (e.g., JavaScript) for security reasons.
Animations or interactive elements.
Text elements using system fonts that might not be universally available.
The role of a verified mark certificate (VMC)
The role of a verified mark certificate (VMC)
While the SVG P/S format is the technical requirement for the logo file itself, it’s only half of the equation for most major mailbox providers. To ensure that your logo is displayed, especially with prominent providers like Google and Yahoo, your organization must also obtain a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC). This digital certificate verifies that your organization is the legitimate owner of the trademarked logo you wish to display. You can learn more about BIMI certificate types.
The VMC effectively links your trademarked logo to your sending domain, providing an additional layer of trust and authenticity. It's stored as a DNS record alongside your BIMI record, and email clients use it to confirm the validity of your brand's logo. This process helps combat impersonation and phishing attempts by ensuring only legitimate, verified brands can display their logos. You can find more information about accredited certificate providers to assist with this process.
Without a VMC, even a perfectly formatted SVG P/S logo might not appear in many major inboxes. The VMC acts as a critical credential, signaling to mailbox providers that your brand's identity is officially validated, enhancing your email's visibility and trustworthiness.
Enhanced brand trust: VMCs assure recipients of your brand's authenticity.
Increased visibility: Ensures logo display in major email clients.
Fraud prevention: Makes it harder for phishers to impersonate your brand.
Consistent branding: Your verified logo appears uniformly across inboxes.
How to ensure BIMI SVG compliance
How to ensure BIMI SVG compliance
Creating a BIMI-compliant SVG logo often involves using a vector graphics editor like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape, then manually editing the SVG code to meet the strict P/S profile requirements. This includes adding the correct baseProfile and version attributes, ensuring all text is converted to paths, removing prohibited elements, and optimizing for file size. Our article on creating BIMI SVG images provides a detailed walkthrough.
After creating your SVG, it's essential to validate it using a BIMI SVG checker. Many online tools can help ensure your file meets all the technical specifications before you publish your BIMI DNS record. Consistent DMARC enforcement is also a prerequisite for BIMI, and actively monitoring your DMARC reports can help identify any issues that might affect your logo's display. Suped offers robust DMARC monitoring to provide actionable insights for a smooth BIMI rollout. Our guide to validating your BIMI SVG and certificate is also a valuable resource.
Maximizing your brand's inbox presence
Maximizing your brand's inbox presence
The strict SVG P/S format and the requirement for a Verified Mark Certificate are foundational to successful BIMI adoption. While the technical specifics might seem daunting, adhering to them is non-negotiable for displaying your logo in supported inboxes and maximizing your brand's presence. These requirements are in place to ensure security, consistency, and a high level of trust in email communication.
By correctly configuring your SVG logo and ensuring all BIMI prerequisites are met, you unlock a significant opportunity to enhance brand recognition, improve engagement, and reinforce trust with every email sent. Continuous monitoring of your email authentication, including DMARC, is essential to maintain optimal deliverability and ensure your brand logo consistently appears as intended.
Google and 
Yahoo, your organization must also obtain a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC). This digital certificate verifies that your organization is the legitimate owner of the trademarked logo you wish to display. You can learn more about BIMI certificate types.
