Summary
Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) allows organizations to display their verified brand logo next to the sender's name in supporting email inboxes, thereby enhancing trust and brand recognition. This visual authentication method is gaining traction across major email clients such as Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Fastmail, and Apple Mail on specific iOS and macOS versions, with Microsoft 365 also rolling out support. Implementation of BIMI requires several key technical components: a robust DMARC policy enforced at 'quarantine' or 'reject' levels, a properly formatted Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) version of the brand logo, and crucially, a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) obtained from a certified authority to authenticate the logo's ownership. While not yet universally supported by all email clients, BIMI represents a significant step forward in email authentication and brand visibility.
Key findings
- Growing Client Support: BIMI is increasingly supported by a growing number of major email clients, including Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Fastmail, Proton Mail, and Apple Mail on iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura. Microsoft 365 has also begun rolling out support.
- DMARC Policy is Essential: A fundamental requirement for BIMI implementation is an enforced DMARC policy set to 'quarantine' or 'reject', providing a strong security foundation for sender identity.
- Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) Required: For most major providers, a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is necessary to authenticate brand ownership of the logo, ensuring the displayed logo is legitimate and not spoofed.
- Specific SVG Logo Format: Brands must provide their logo in a specific SVG Tiny P/S format, hosted at a public URL, to be referenced within the BIMI DNS TXT record.
- SPF and DKIM Alignment: Underlying BIMI's functionality are properly aligned SPF and DKIM authentication policies, which are crucial for email deliverability and DMARC enforcement.
- Enhances Trust and Security: BIMI significantly enhances email trust and security by visually confirming sender identity, displaying a verified brand logo next to the sender's name in the inbox.
Key considerations
- VMC Acquisition: Obtaining a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) can involve significant cost and effort, as it requires a formal validation process through a certified authority.
- Partial Client Adoption: While supported by many major clients like Gmail and Yahoo, BIMI is not universally adopted across all email clients. For instance, Apple Mail supports it on specific iOS 16 and macOS Ventura versions, but not natively across all its clients. Microsoft 365 is rolling out support, but it's not yet fully widespread.
- Robust DMARC Implementation: Successful BIMI adoption hinges on a robust DMARC implementation with an enforced policy (p=quarantine or p=reject). This requires careful configuration and monitoring to avoid deliverability issues.
- Reputation and Volume: Some experts suggest that a positive sending reputation and sufficient email volume for bulk communication may be unofficial factors for BIMI display, beyond the technical requirements.
What email marketers say
9 marketer opinions
Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) is now available on leading email clients like Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Fastmail, allowing organizations to display their verified brand logo alongside their emails. This visual confirmation greatly enhances trust and sender authenticity. Implementing BIMI requires several key technical components: a robust DMARC policy set to an enforcement level of 'quarantine' or 'reject', ensuring underlying emails are authenticated via aligned SPF and DKIM, providing the brand logo in a specific SVG format, and crucially, obtaining a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) from a certified authority to validate logo ownership. While offering significant benefits for brand visibility and security, it's important to note that Apple Mail on iOS and macOS clients does not currently support BIMI natively, and the process of acquiring a VMC can entail notable cost and effort.
Key opinions
- Major Client Availability: BIMI is currently available on major email clients such as Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Fastmail, allowing verified brand logos to be displayed next to sender information.
- DMARC Enforcement: A fundamental requirement for BIMI is having a DMARC policy set to an enforcement level, specifically 'quarantine' or 'reject', to ensure email authentication and prevent spoofing.
- Verified Mark Certificate (VMC): A Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is crucial for BIMI, serving to authenticate the brand's ownership of the logo and ensuring its legitimacy in recipient inboxes.
- Specific SVG Logo Format: Brands must provide their logo in a specific Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) format, such as SVG Tiny P/S, and host it at a publicly accessible URL.
- SPF and DKIM Alignment: Underlying BIMI's functionality, emails must be properly authenticated via aligned SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) records, which are prerequisites for DMARC enforcement.
- Enhanced Trust and Security: BIMI significantly enhances email trust and security by visually confirming sender identity, displaying a verified brand logo, and assuring recipients that the email is legitimate.
Key considerations
- Apple Mail Support: As of now, Apple Mail clients on iOS and macOS do not natively support BIMI, meaning brand logos will not be displayed via BIMI in these environments.
- VMC Acquisition: Obtaining a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) can involve significant cost and effort, requiring a formal validation process through a certified authority.
- Strict DMARC Enforcement: Successful BIMI implementation hinges on a robust DMARC policy enforced at 'quarantine' or 'reject' levels, which demands careful configuration and ongoing management.
- Current Adoption: While growing, BIMI still has limited adoption across the full spectrum of email clients, which may impact the visibility of your verified logo for all recipients.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Mailchimp shares that BIMI is available on major email clients like Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Fastmail, and outlines its key implementation requirements including a DMARC policy of 'quarantine' or 'reject', aligned SPF and DKIM, a specific SVG logo format, and a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC).
5 Feb 2025 - Mailchimp Blog
Marketer view
Email marketer from Twilio SendGrid outlines the detailed implementation requirements for BIMI, emphasizing the need for a DMARC policy set to 'quarantine' or 'reject', ensuring emails are authenticated via SPF and DKIM, obtaining a brand logo in SVG Tiny P/S format, hosting it at a public URL, and acquiring a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) from a certified authority.
25 Dec 2023 - Twilio SendGrid Blog
What the experts say
3 expert opinions
BIMI's availability for email clients is expanding, with key platforms like Gmail, Yahoo!, Fastmail, and Apple Mail (on specific iOS and macOS versions) actively supporting the display of verified brand logos. This feature significantly boosts recipient trust by visually confirming sender identity. Core implementation requirements include a DMARC policy enforced at 'quarantine' or 'reject' levels, a properly configured BIMI DNS record referencing a valid SVG logo, and for most providers, a Validated Mark Certificate (VMC) to authenticate logo ownership. While adoption is increasing, some major providers, including Microsoft Outlook/365, ProtonMail, and Comcast, do not yet universally support BIMI.
Key opinions
- Growing Client Adoption: BIMI is increasingly available on major email clients such as Gmail, Yahoo!, Fastmail, and Apple Mail for iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura, allowing verified brand logos to be displayed.
- DMARC Enforcement Required: A DMARC policy set to 'quarantine' or 'reject' is a fundamental prerequisite for BIMI implementation, ensuring strong email authentication and preventing spoofing.
- Validated Mark Certificate (VMC): For most email providers, obtaining a Validated Mark Certificate (VMC) is essential to verify the authenticity and ownership of the brand logo displayed via BIMI.
- SVG Logo and DNS Record: Successful BIMI implementation requires a BIMI DNS record that points to a properly formatted Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) version of the brand's logo.
- Varying Provider Support: While many platforms support BIMI, some major providers like Microsoft Outlook/365, ProtonMail, and Comcast do not yet offer universal support for displaying BIMI logos.
Key considerations
- Partial Client Rollout: BIMI is not yet universally supported across all email clients. While gaining traction, specific versions of Apple Mail support it, but other significant providers like Microsoft Outlook/365, ProtonMail, and Comcast currently do not.
- VMC Acquisition Process: Obtaining a Validated Mark Certificate (VMC) is often necessary for BIMI implementation and involves a formal validation process through a certified authority, which can require effort and incur costs.
- Reputation and Volume: Beyond the technical requirements, some experts suggest that a positive sending reputation and sufficient email volume for bulk communications may influence whether BIMI logos are displayed by certain providers.
- Strict DMARC Policy: Implementing a DMARC policy at an enforcement level, specifically 'quarantine' or 'reject', is critical for BIMI and requires careful setup to avoid potential email deliverability issues.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that BIMI is now an option, requiring a BIMI DNS record with a valid SVG logo, a DMARC policy of at least quarantine, usage for bulk communication, and sufficient volume for a positive reputation. He notes that it is currently only available at Verizon properties, but should be open for implementation.
11 Dec 2021 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource shares that BIMI is currently available in email clients such as Gmail, Apple Mail (iOS 16, macOS Ventura), Yahoo!, and Fastmail. However, major providers like Microsoft Outlook/365, ProtonMail, and Comcast do not yet support it. Implementation typically requires a DMARC policy set to 'quarantine' or 'reject', along with a Validated Mark Certificate (VMC) for most providers.
24 Apr 2023 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
6 technical articles
BIMI, or Brand Indicators for Message Identification, is broadly available across prominent email clients, allowing for the display of verified brand logos in the inbox to foster greater trust. Major providers like Gmail and Yahoo Mail have integrated BIMI, and this capability is also being rolled out for Microsoft 365 and is supported by Proton Mail. Successful BIMI implementation demands a robust DMARC policy enforced at a 'quarantine' or 'reject' level, a precisely formatted SVG logo, and a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) to officially validate logo ownership. These combined requirements enable organizations to visually confirm their identity to recipients.
Key findings
- Broad Client Availability: BIMI is now widely supported by leading email clients, including Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Proton Mail, and with ongoing rollout for Microsoft 365.
- DMARC Enforcement Prerequisite: A strong DMARC policy, set to an enforcement level of 'quarantine' or 'reject', is mandatory for BIMI to function correctly.
- VMC for Logo Authentication: A Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is essential to authenticate the brand's ownership of the logo, ensuring its legitimacy in recipient inboxes.
- Specific SVG Logo Requirements: The brand logo must be provided in a precisely formatted SVG file, adhering to specific technical guidelines, and referenced in the BIMI DNS record.
- Detailed DNS Configuration: Implementing BIMI requires a correctly formatted DNS TXT record that specifies the location of both the SVG logo and the VMC.
Key considerations
- VMC Acquisition Process: Obtaining a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) involves a formal validation process with a certified authority, which can be both time-consuming and incur costs.
- Strict DMARC Policy: Implementing a DMARC policy at an enforcement level, such as 'quarantine' or 'reject', requires careful configuration to maintain email deliverability while effectively preventing email spoofing.
- Precise Logo Formatting: Adherence to exact SVG logo specifications is critical for proper display across supporting email clients, as deviations can prevent the logo from rendering.
- Continued Client Evolution: While support is growing significantly, not all email clients or platforms universally display BIMI logos, indicating ongoing evolution in adoption rates.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that Gmail supports BIMI, allowing verified brand logos to be displayed next to the sender's name in the inbox.
20 Jun 2021 - Google Workspace Admin Help
Technical article
Documentation from AuthIndicators Working Group explains that BIMI is supported by several major email providers, and details that implementation requires a strong DMARC policy (p=quarantine or p=reject), a properly formatted SVG logo, and a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) to authenticate brand ownership of the logo.
10 Jan 2023 - BIMI Group
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