Summary
Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) is gaining traction as a visual trust indicator in email, allowing your brand logo to appear next to your emails in supporting inboxes. While its primary role is to enhance brand visibility and recipient trust, the direct impact of BIMI on email deliverability is a nuanced topic. Most experts agree that BIMI itself does not directly improve email deliverability, but it can significantly boost engagement metrics. For BIMI to work, a robust email authentication setup, particularly a DMARC policy at quarantine or reject, is essential. This underlying authentication is what truly influences deliverability, while BIMI acts as a visual reward for adopting strong security practices.
Key findings
- Indirect deliverability boost: BIMI doesn't directly improve inbox placement. Any perceived deliverability gains are often due to the prerequisite DMARC policy, which strengthens email authentication and sender reputation.
- Significant engagement improvement: The primary benefit of BIMI is increased email engagement. Seeing a verified brand logo can build trust, leading to higher open rates and clicks. Some studies, like those referenced by Skysnag, suggest engagement may rise by up to 38%.
- Requires strong authentication: BIMI mandates that your domain has DMARC implemented with a policy of 'quarantine' or 'reject'. This ensures a strong level of email authentication, reducing phishing and spoofing.
- Brand recognition and trust: The visible logo serves as a clear indicator of authenticity, helping recipients quickly identify legitimate senders and distinguishing your emails in a crowded inbox.
Key considerations
- Foundation first: Before considering BIMI, ensure your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly configured and enforced. These are the true pillars of email deliverability.
- Not all clients support BIMI: While major email clients like Gmail and Yahoo Mail support BIMI, its adoption is not universal. The visual benefit will only be seen by recipients using supporting platforms. You can review which email clients support BIMI.
- VMC requirement: To display your logo in most prominent placements, a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is often required, adding a cost and administrative layer to implementation.
- Measure indirectly: Measuring the direct impact of BIMI on deliverability is challenging because it's intertwined with DMARC. Focus on tracking engagement metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and brand recognition.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often approach BIMI with a keen eye on its potential for brand visibility and engagement rather than a direct deliverability fix. While some hope for an immediate deliverability boost, the consensus among practitioners leans towards its value as a powerful branding tool that complements existing authentication standards. Many view BIMI as a reward for proper DMARC implementation, providing a visual cue of trust to recipients and potentially increasing interaction with their emails. The focus is generally on how BIMI impacts engagement metrics like opens and clicks.
Key opinions
- Engagement driver: Many marketers report that BIMI primarily drives engagement, leading to higher open rates and click-through rates due to enhanced brand trust and recognition in the inbox.
- Deliverability is indirect: It's widely believed that BIMI does not directly improve deliverability; rather, any deliverability benefits stem from the underlying DMARC authentication, which is a prerequisite.
- Reward for DMARC: BIMI is often seen as a visual incentive or reward for successfully implementing and enforcing a strong DMARC policy, providing a clear sign of legitimacy.
- Brand differentiation: The prominent display of a brand logo helps emails stand out in crowded inboxes, reinforcing brand identity and fostering recipient trust.
- Not a silver bullet: Marketers caution against viewing BIMI as a standalone solution for deliverability issues, emphasizing the foundational importance of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
Key considerations
- Prerequisite DMARC: Ensure DMARC is set to 'quarantine' or 'reject' before pursuing BIMI, as this is a non-negotiable requirement for adoption.
- Cost of VMC: The need for a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) adds a financial consideration and a layer of complexity to the implementation process.
- Measure impact cautiously: Directly isolating BIMI's impact on deliverability from DMARC's influence can be difficult. Focus on measuring improvements in engagement metrics.
- Client support: Be aware that not all email clients display BIMI logos, so the visual benefit might not be universal across your audience. Understand BIMI's availability for email clients.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that if SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly implemented, BIMI is likely to boost engagement rather than directly improve deliverability.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks believes BIMI is a reward for correctly implementing DMARC, providing a visually certified badge in inboxes like Gmail and Apple Mail.
What the experts say
Industry experts generally align on the technical understanding of BIMI, emphasizing its role as a visual layer built upon robust email authentication, specifically DMARC. While acknowledging the potential for enhanced brand trust and engagement, experts typically clarify that BIMI itself does not directly influence where an email lands (inbox vs. spam). Instead, it capitalizes on the security benefits provided by DMARC, offering a visible indicator of verified sender identity. The focus from experts is on the importance of the underlying security protocols first and foremost. For example, understanding how DKIM impacts deliverability is critical before moving to BIMI.
Key opinions
- Authentication first: BIMI is a security standard that builds upon a fully enforced DMARC policy, meaning foundational authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is paramount for any deliverability gains.
- Engagement, not deliverability: Experts consistently state that BIMI's direct impact is on user engagement (opens, clicks), not on inbox placement. Its presence signals legitimacy to recipients.
- Brand trust indicator: The primary value of BIMI is in visually reinforcing brand identity and trust at a glance, which can differentiate legitimate emails from potential phishing attempts.
- Part of a broader strategy: BIMI should be seen as one component of a comprehensive email deliverability strategy, not a standalone solution. Its benefits are maximized when combined with other best practices.
- Security byproduct: The enforcement of DMARC required for BIMI inherently improves security, which in turn can positively influence sender reputation and indirectly aid deliverability.
Key considerations
- Technical complexity: Implementing BIMI requires careful DNS record configuration and potentially a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC), necessitating technical expertise.
- DMARC enforcement level: Ensure your DMARC policy is at 'p=quarantine' or 'p=reject' for BIMI to function. This step is critical and requires thorough monitoring of DMARC reports.
- Measuring ROI: While engagement lift is measurable, directly attributing changes in deliverability solely to BIMI, separate from DMARC, is complex. Focus on overall email program health.
- Evolving standard: BIMI is still evolving, with more email clients potentially adopting it over time. Stay updated on the latest developments and client support. It's important to understand the value of BIMI.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that BIMI's primary impact is on visual trust and brand recognition, which can indirectly lead to better engagement, rather than direct deliverability improvements.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks emphasizes that BIMI is a reward for strong email authentication practices, notably DMARC, and it doesn't bypass the need for good sender reputation.
What the documentation says
Official documentation and technical specifications for BIMI (RFC 8605, RFC 9494) define it as a standard that allows organizations to display their brand logos next to their authenticated emails in supporting recipient inboxes. The core requirement for BIMI is the enforcement of DMARC at a policy of 'quarantine' or 'reject', which signifies that the sending domain has robust email authentication in place. While the documentation emphasizes brand display and visual authentication, it indirectly supports the idea that strong authentication (which BIMI depends on) contributes to deliverability. However, BIMI's direct impact is consistently framed around visual trust and brand recognition, leveraging the security foundation provided by DMARC. Understanding common questions about BIMI authentication can further clarify its technical aspects.
Key findings
- Visual authentication: BIMI provides a visual indicator of authenticity, displaying a brand's logo next to sender information in the inbox. This helps recipients verify the sender at a glance.
- DMARC requirement: A strict DMARC policy (p=quarantine or p=reject) is a non-negotiable prerequisite for implementing BIMI. This ensures proper alignment and authentication of email streams.
- Standardization: BIMI is an open standard designed to improve the trust and security of the email ecosystem by associating verified logos with authenticated emails.
- Enhanced user experience: By making legitimate emails more recognizable, BIMI aims to improve the recipient's experience and encourage interaction with trusted brands.
Key considerations
- DNS records: BIMI implementation involves publishing specific DNS records (TXT records) that point to your SVG logo file and potentially your VMC.
- SVG format: Logos must be in a specific Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format, meeting certain technical requirements to ensure proper display.
- VMC verification: For certified logos, a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) issued by a trusted Certificate Authority is required to prove ownership of the logo.
- Not a direct deliverability protocol: The specifications do not claim BIMI directly improves deliverability, but rather that it leverages existing strong authentication (DMARC) to enable visual branding. This concept is further explored in what RFC 5322 says.
Technical article
The BIMI Working Group (IETF RFC 8605) states that BIMI provides a mechanism for senders to publish their desired brand logo alongside DMARC-authenticated messages.
Technical article
The BIMI specification from Mailgun.com highlights that while BIMI enhances brand visibility, its primary purpose is not to directly improve email deliverability but to build trust through visual authentication.
Related resources
12 resources
Related pages
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Why Your Emails Fail: Expert Guide to Improve Email Deliverability [2025]
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