Will my BIMI logo disappear immediately when my VMC expires?

Yes, for mailbox providers like Gmail and Apple Mail that require a VMC, your logo will likely disappear immediately upon expiration. Other providers, like Yahoo Mail, might still display a self-signed logo, but without the verified checkmark.

Can I still display my logo with BIMI if I don't have a VMC?

You can implement BIMI without a VMC, known as self-signed BIMI. However, Google and Apple require a VMC to display the logo and blue checkmark. Without a VMC, your logo will only appear in a limited number of supporting inboxes.

How often do I need to renew my VMC?

VMCs typically need to be renewed annually. It is crucial to monitor the expiration date and initiate the renewal process well in advance to avoid any disruption to your brand's display.

Does an expired VMC affect my email deliverability?

While an expired VMC doesn't directly cause emails to bounce or go to spam, the loss of visual trust signals (logo and blue checkmark) can indirectly impact recipient engagement and potentially lead to a decline in sender reputation if recipients perceive your emails as less trustworthy.

What is the relationship between VMC expiration and DMARC?

BIMI, including VMC usage, requires a DMARC policy at an enforcement level (p=quarantine or p=reject). If your VMC expires, but your DMARC is still enforced, your emails will still be authenticated, but the visual brand indicator will be lost. DMARC monitoring is essential for both.

What Happens to Your BIMI Logo and Blue Checkmark When Your VMC Expires? - DMARC - Email authentication - Knowledge base

Email authentication has become a cornerstone of modern digital communication, with Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) leading the charge in visual brand verification. BIMI allows your trademarked logo to appear next to your emails in supporting inboxes, significantly boosting brand recognition and recipient trust. However, the effectiveness of BIMI, especially with the coveted blue checkmark in major email clients like

Gmail and

Apple Mail, relies heavily on a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC).

A VMC serves as the official link between your authenticated sending domain and your trademarked logo, validating your brand's legitimacy to mailbox providers. This certificate is crucial for displaying your logo consistently and for achieving the blue checkmark that signals verified sender status.

But what happens if your VMC, a time-sensitive digital certificate, expires? The absence of a valid VMC can disrupt your brand's visibility and trustworthiness in the inbox, leading to unforeseen consequences for your email marketing and security efforts. Let's explore the impact of an expired VMC and how to prevent such issues.

The role of VMCs in BIMI

A Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is a digital certificate that authenticates your organization's logo, ensuring that only legitimate senders can display their brand's imagery in email inboxes. It is issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) after rigorous verification of your trademarked logo and domain ownership. This process helps combat email spoofing and phishing by visually confirming the sender's identity.

While BIMI itself is a DNS record, the VMC acts as the anchor for the visual verification aspect, especially with key mailbox providers. Google and Apple, for instance, mandate a VMC for BIMI to work and for the blue checkmark to appear. Without it, even with a perfectly configured BIMI record, your logo may not be displayed or recognized as verified. You can read more about VMC reissuance and renewal to understand the continuous process.

The integration of BIMI with a VMC relies on a proper DMARC policy set to enforcement (quarantine or reject). This foundational layer of email authentication is what tells receiving servers to trust your domain's identity and, subsequently, its BIMI logo. Our platform offers robust DMARC monitoring to ensure your authentication is always in check.

Key takeaway: While BIMI can technically exist without a VMC (often referred to as self-signed BIMI), major inbox providers such as

Gmail and

Apple Mail will not display your logo or the blue checkmark without a valid VMC. This is a critical distinction when aiming for maximum brand visibility and trust.

Immediate impact of an expired VMC

When your VMC expires, the most immediate and noticeable consequence is the disappearance of your trademarked logo from email clients that require a VMC, like

Gmail and

Apple Mail. The blue checkmark, a symbol of sender verification and trust, will also vanish. This can lead to a significant drop in brand recognition and recipient engagement, as your emails will no longer visually stand out in the inbox.

For other mailbox providers that support BIMI without a VMC (i.e., self-signed BIMI), such as

Yahoo Mail and

AOL, your logo might still appear. However, it won't carry the same level of verified trust as it would with an active VMC. The lack of a valid certificate essentially downgrades your BIMI implementation to its most basic form, missing out on the enhanced security and confidence that a VMC provides. We often see questions about why the logo isn't showing in Gmail, and VMC expiration is a common culprit.

Beyond the visual impact, an expired VMC can indirectly affect your email deliverability. While it doesn't directly cause emails to go to spam, the perceived lack of sender authenticity might lead some recipients to mark your emails as junk, which in turn can negatively impact your sender reputation over time. This is especially true for senders who have invested heavily in building brand trust through BIMI.

VMC Active

Brand recognition: Trademarked logo visible in supporting inboxes, including Gmail and Apple Mail.
Trust indicator: Blue checkmark confirms sender authenticity, reducing phishing risks.
Engagement: Higher open rates and engagement due to increased recipient confidence.

VMC Expired

Logo disappearance: Logo vanishes from Gmail, Apple Mail, and other VMC-requiring inboxes.
No blue checkmark: Loss of visual trust signal, potentially impacting sender reputation.
Reduced impact: BIMI functionality degrades to self-signed status, with limited visual benefits.

How to prevent and rectify VMC expiration

The key to avoiding VMC expiration is proactive monitoring and timely renewal. VMCs, like other digital certificates, have a finite validity period, typically one year. Certificate Authorities (CAs) usually send renewal notifications, but it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure continuous validity. Regular checks of your BIMI record, including the certificate's status, are essential.

Example of a BIMI DNS record (TXT)

default._bimi.yourdomain.com IN TXT "v=BIMI1;l=https://yourdomain.com/logo.svg;a=https://yourdomain.com/vmc-certificate.pem;"

To prevent lapses, set up reminders well in advance of the expiration date. The renewal process involves validating your organization and trademark again, similar to the initial application. Choosing a reliable Certificate Authority is also important, such as the BIMI accredited certificate providers.

DMARC plays a critical role in BIMI's success. An enforcement policy (p=quarantine or p=reject) is required for BIMI to function correctly with a VMC. If you're looking to monitor your DMARC, SPF, and DKIM, and receive actionable insights to improve your email deliverability and security, consider Suped. Our platform offers comprehensive DMARC monitoring and reporting with AI-powered recommendations, real-time alerts, and features like SPF flattening, making it an ideal choice for businesses and MSPs managing multiple domains.

Regularly validating your BIMI SVG and certificate is also a good practice. This ensures that the technical aspects of your BIMI implementation are always aligned with the requirements of mailbox providers and Certificate Authorities.

Sectigo, a leading CA, offers further insights into Verified Mark Certificates for email.

Views from the trenches

Best practices

Always set up multiple reminders for VMC renewal dates across different teams.

Integrate VMC expiration tracking into your DMARC monitoring platform for real-time alerts.

Regularly audit your BIMI DNS record to ensure the VMC link is correct and accessible.

Choose a Certificate Authority that offers clear renewal processes and excellent support.

Common pitfalls

Forgetting to renew the VMC, leading to immediate loss of blue checkmark and logo display.

Assuming BIMI will work for all mailbox providers without a VMC.

Not having a DMARC policy at enforcement (p=quarantine or p=reject).

Failing to update the BIMI record with the new VMC link after renewal.

Expert tips

Use automated tools to monitor VMC status and get notifications before expiration.

Maintain consistent branding across all digital channels, including your BIMI logo.

Ensure your SVG logo format adheres strictly to BIMI specifications to prevent display issues.

Educate your marketing and IT teams on the importance of VMC and BIMI alignment.

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks says that I was expecting to see a logo and blue checkmark for an email from OpenTable, but it didn't show up. Upon investigation, I found that their BIMI record looked correct, but the VMC certificate seemed to be the issue.

2024-06-18 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks says that the certificate for OpenTable expired a long time ago and was not renewed, which is why the BIMI logo and blue checkmark were not displaying.

2024-06-18 - Email Geeks

Maintaining your brand's trust

The expiration of your Verified Mark Certificate is more than just a technical oversight, it's a direct threat to your brand's hard-earned trust and visibility in the crowded inbox. Losing your logo and the coveted blue checkmark can diminish sender reputation, reduce engagement, and leave your brand vulnerable to impersonation.

Prioritizing the continuous validity of your VMC is paramount for any organization committed to strong email authentication and brand protection. It reinforces your authenticity and signals to recipients that your emails are genuinely from your brand.

To ensure your BIMI implementation remains robust, a comprehensive strategy involving DMARC enforcement, proactive VMC renewal, and continuous monitoring is essential. Suped provides an all-in-one platform for DMARC monitoring and reporting, helping you maintain a strong email security posture and maximize your brand's presence in the inbox.