Summary
Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) has transitioned from trial to an emerging standard, offering email senders the ability to display their brand logo directly in recipient inboxes. While the concept is straightforward – a visual brand identifier – its availability and implementation involve several technical prerequisites and ecosystem considerations. Marketers and email experts often seek clarity on whether BIMI is widely supported by email clients and the precise steps required for successful deployment.
Key findings
- Growing support: While initially limited, major email clients such as Gmail, Apple Mail, Yahoo Mail, and Fastmail now support BIMI, making it a viable option for many brands. The BIMI Group continues to update on client adoption.
- Authentication foundation: BIMI implementation is strictly contingent on robust email authentication. This requires a strong DMARC policy (at least `p=quarantine` or `p=reject`), along with correctly configured SPF and DKIM records to ensure message authenticity and alignment.
- Verified mark certificate (VMC): For some providers, notably Gmail, a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is a mandatory component. This digital certificate verifies the authenticity of the brand's logo and adds an extra layer of trust.
- SVG logo requirement: The brand logo must be in a specific Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) Tiny 1.2 format, hosted at a secure (HTTPS) URL, and often requires specific sizing and styling. Validating your SVG is a critical step.
- Reputation dependence: Email providers will typically only display BIMI logos for senders with established positive sending reputations, indicating that a brand sends legitimate, desired mail.
Key considerations
- DMARC policy enforcement: Before pursuing BIMI, ensure your DMARC policy is set to at least `p=quarantine` or `p=reject`. This is a foundational security requirement that can impact email deliverability if not handled carefully.
- Logo preparation: The logo must be vector-based (SVG), square, and accurately represent your brand. Specific formatting is crucial for proper display across different clients.
- VMC acquisition: If aiming for Gmail support, obtaining a VMC from a qualified certificate authority is essential. This involves a validation process to confirm brand ownership.
- DNS record creation: A BIMI DNS TXT record needs to be published for your sending domain, pointing to your SVG logo and VMC (if applicable). Precision in this step is vital.
- Monitoring and troubleshooting: After implementation, monitor your email delivery and BIMI display across various clients. Issues can arise from incorrect DNS entries, logo formatting, or evolving client requirements. Sometimes, troubleshooting authentication records is part of the process.
What email marketers say
Email marketers are increasingly aware of BIMI's potential to enhance brand visibility and trust in the inbox. They are keen to understand its practical implications and whether the benefits outweigh the technical hurdles. Many express optimism about BIMI's ability to improve engagement, but also voice concerns about the complexity of setup and the varying support among email clients.
Key opinions
- Brand recognition: Marketers generally believe BIMI offers a significant opportunity to increase brand recognition and presence directly in the inbox, making emails stand out.
- Trust and security perception: The visual validation (logo display) is seen as a way to build recipient trust, indicating that the email is legitimate and not a phishing attempt. This can indirectly improve sender reputation.
- Engagement potential: Many anticipate that displaying a logo could lead to higher open rates and overall email engagement, as recipients are more likely to open emails from recognized and trusted brands.
- Gradual adoption: While some key clients support BIMI, marketers recognize that universal adoption is still some way off, meaning the impact won't be immediately seen by all subscribers.
- Complexity of setup: The prerequisite of a strict DMARC policy and the need for a VMC are often cited as significant barriers for some organizations.
Key considerations
- Investment justification: Marketers need to assess the return on investment (ROI) for BIMI implementation, weighing the costs of VMC and setup against the projected benefits in brand recognition and engagement.
- Prerequisite readiness: Before even considering BIMI, ensuring full DMARC compliance with an enforced policy is crucial. Many marketers are still working towards this foundational step.
- Impact on engagement metrics: While BIMI aims to improve engagement, marketers will need to carefully monitor metrics like open rates and click-through rates post-implementation to truly gauge its effectiveness. See our guide on BIMI's impact on engagement.
- Provider-specific requirements: Marketers must be aware that not all email clients have the exact same requirements for BIMI display, particularly regarding the VMC. Understanding these nuances is key for broad application.
- Image fidelity: The SVG logo must be precisely formatted to render correctly across various email clients and devices, preventing distorted or pixelated displays.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks states that BIMI appears to be a viable option for clients now that the trial phase has concluded. They are ready to move forward with implementation, having two clients eager to adopt it for their email communications. The primary uncertainty lies in understanding the precise process, whether it's a simple record implementation or if a more formal sign-up is still necessary after the trial. The marketer's clients meet the fundamental technical requirements for BIMI, including having a DMARC policy at quarantine, sufficient email volume, and an established brand identity. They are seeking clarification on whether a formal application or registration process with providers like Verizon is still required, or if direct DNS record publishing is now the standard.
Marketer view
Marketer from SendLayer comments that while not every email client supports BIMI, many of the most popular applications do, including Gmail, Apple Mail, Yahoo Mail, and Fastmail. This growing adoption makes BIMI a worthwhile consideration for brands aiming to enhance their email presence. The marketer emphasizes BIMI's role in improving email deliverability and brand awareness. By displaying a recognizable logo, brands can build trust with recipients, potentially leading to higher engagement rates and improved inbox placement.
What the experts say
Email deliverability experts highlight that BIMI is no longer just an experimental feature but an evolving standard with increasing support from major mailbox providers. They emphasize the critical role of strong email authentication as a non-negotiable foundation for BIMI, cautioning that any shortcuts in DMARC implementation will prevent BIMI from functioning. Experts also point to the need for brands to maintain excellent sender reputation for their logos to be displayed consistently.
Key opinions
- Live and available: Experts confirm that BIMI is now generally available and not confined to a trial, implying broader accessibility for brands meeting the criteria.
- Strict authentication: It's consistently stressed that a DMARC policy of `p=quarantine` or `p=reject` is mandatory. Without this, BIMI will not work, as it's designed to build upon a verified sending domain. Our guide on DMARC, SPF, and DKIM covers these essentials.
- Reputation is key: Beyond technical setup, a positive sending reputation (low complaint rates, high engagement) is crucial for mailbox providers to trust and display your logo. Without it, the logo may not appear even if all technical requirements are met.
- Specific client support: While support is expanding, experts clarify that BIMI is currently primarily seen on major clients like Gmail, Yahoo (Verizon Media properties), and Apple Mail, not universally across all mailboxes.
- Ongoing monitoring: Experts recommend continuous monitoring of BIMI implementation, especially for display issues, as email ecosystems are dynamic. Direct communication with providers (if possible) can help resolve specific display problems.
Key considerations
- Strategic implementation: Brands should view BIMI as part of a larger deliverability and brand trust strategy, not a standalone fix for email issues. Authentication standards are foundational.
- VMC necessity: Experts emphasize that for major clients like Gmail, a VMC is critical. This adds a cost and a validation step that brands must account for.
- Logo compliance: The SVG logo must strictly adhere to the technical specifications to ensure proper rendering across different email environments. Non-compliant logos will simply not display.
- Impact on deliverability: While BIMI itself isn't a direct deliverability factor, its reliance on a strong DMARC policy directly contributes to improved email authentication, which does impact deliverability.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks notes that BIMI requires several key elements for successful participation. Firstly, a valid BIMI DNS record with a properly formatted SVG logo is essential. This record tells recipient mail servers where to find the brand's verified logo for display. Secondly, a DMARC policy set to at least `quarantine` is a non-negotiable prerequisite, ensuring strong email authentication. Additionally, the sender must be a legitimate brand engaging in bulk communication, rather than person-to-person emails. Lastly, sufficient email volume to establish a positive reputation with mailbox providers is necessary, as BIMI is often a reward for good sending practices.
Expert view
Expert from Spamresource.com observes that BIMI allows a brand's logo to appear next to the sender's email in the inbox view, enhancing brand recognition and user trust. This visual cue can help users quickly identify legitimate messages from known senders. The expert emphasizes that this visual benefit is contingent upon the brand having a strong authentication posture, particularly a DMARC policy enforced at quarantine or reject, which demonstrates a commitment to email security.
What the documentation says
Official documentation and technical specifications for BIMI outline a clear, multi-step process for implementation, heavily emphasizing the prerequisite of strong email authentication. The documentation specifies technical requirements for the logo format and DNS records, as well as the necessity of a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) for some implementations. It positions BIMI as an enhancement to trust and brand identity, built on top of a secure email sending infrastructure.
Key findings
- DMARC policy enforcement: BIMI documentation consistently states that a DMARC policy of `p=quarantine` or `p=reject` is a fundamental requirement. This policy ensures that emails are properly authenticated and prevents unauthorized use of a brand's domain.
- SVG Tiny 1.2 format: The brand logo must be a Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) file compliant with the SVG Tiny 1.2 Portable/Secure profile. This specific format ensures consistent rendering and security.
- BIMI DNS record: A TXT record must be published in the domain's DNS that includes the BIMI version, the URL to the SVG logo file, and optionally, the URL to the Verified Mark Certificate.
- Verified mark certificate (VMC): While optional for some mail clients, documentation, particularly from providers like Google, indicates that a VMC issued by an accredited Certificate Authority (CA) is required for full functionality (e.g., in Gmail).
- Security and trust: BIMI is presented as a means to enhance trust and combat phishing by providing a visual identifier tied to authenticated email, ensuring only legitimate senders display their logos.
Key considerations
- Strict adherence to DMARC: Documentation emphasizes that BIMI will not function without a strong DMARC policy correctly enforced, reinforcing the idea that it's an additive layer of trust, not a replacement for core email security. This includes proper DMARC setup.
- Logo hosting: The SVG logo must be hosted on a secure (HTTPS) server and accessible by mailbox providers. This ensures the integrity and availability of the brand's visual identity.
- VMC procurement process: Obtaining a VMC involves a verification process with a recognized Certificate Authority, confirming the legitimate use of the brand's logo. This can take time and involves a cost.
- DNS record accuracy: Precision in creating the BIMI DNS TXT record is paramount, as errors can prevent logo display. This includes correct formatting and pointing to the right URLs for both the logo and VMC. Further details can be found in our guide on email client support for BIMI.
Technical article
Documentation from the BIMI Group highlights that BIMI is an emerging email specification designed to enhance email authentication and brand recognition within supporting email clients. It is not a security solution in itself but rather relies on existing authentication protocols to function. The group clarifies that BIMI requires the use of strong email authentication solutions, specifically SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. This foundational security is crucial for any brand looking to implement BIMI effectively.
Technical article
Documentation from Mailgun states that the BIMI method grants the sender or brand more control because they provide mailbox providers with an official, approved logo for inbox display. This ensures brand consistency across platforms. It further elaborates that this level of control is achieved by linking the logo to robust email authentication, which verifies the sender's identity. This enhances trust and visibility for the brand in the recipient's inbox.
Related resources
15 resources
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