Summary
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is designed to enhance brand recognition and trust by displaying a brand's logo in the recipient's inbox. While the technical specification allows for the use of BIMI selectors to support multiple logos for a single domain (perhaps for A/B testing or different sub-brands), the practical application and widespread adoption of this feature remain limited. Most mailbox providers and email service providers (ESPs) currently only support the default BIMI record, meaning that for most organizations, a single, consistent brand logo is the most effective approach.
Key findings
- Primary purpose: BIMI's main goal is to boost brand awareness and trust by showing a recognizable logo, which simplifies branding for subscribers. This also helps with logo display across email providers.
- Selector support: While BIMI allows for multiple logos via selectors, current adoption by mailbox providers (MBPs) and ESPs is primarily limited to the default selector (default._bimi). This means efforts to implement various logos for different campaigns or sub-brands on the same domain are unlikely to be widely displayed.
- Single logo focus: Most organizations will find it more effective to focus on implementing one primary logo that accurately represents their brand, rather than trying to manage multiple logos through selectors.
- Authentication dependency: Proper email authentication, including SPF, DKIM, and a DMARC policy at enforcement (quarantine or reject), is a prerequisite for any BIMI logo to display. Learn more about BIMI requirements and implementation.
Key considerations
- Brand consistency: Prioritize a single, consistent brand logo for your domain to ensure maximum recognition and trust, as this is what most recipients will see.
- Technical limitations: Be aware that despite BIMI's technical allowance for selectors, practical support is minimal. Avoid overcomplicating your BIMI setup with multiple logos on a single domain unless you have specific, confirmed MBP support for selectors.
- Future-proofing: Monitor changes in BIMI selector support over time, as adoption may increase. However, for now, simplicity is key. You can find more BIMI FAQs for senders on the BIMI Group website.
- Subdomain strategy: For organizations with distinct sub-brands operating on different subdomains, consider implementing separate BIMI records for each subdomain to ensure the correct logo is displayed. See our guide on implementing BIMI for multiple brands with subdomains.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often approach BIMI logo usage with a focus on brand identity and subscriber recognition. While the idea of multiple logos for a single organization might seem appealing for diverse campaigns or product lines, the current technical landscape suggests that simplicity and consistency are paramount. Most marketers prioritize establishing a single, strong visual identity through BIMI, acknowledging the limited practical support for multiple selectors. They emphasize that the primary value of BIMI lies in reinforcing brand trust and awareness with a clear, unified logo.
Key opinions
- Brand focus: Marketers believe BIMI is primarily about brand awareness and trust, with subscribers immediately recognizing the brand from the displayed logo.
- Simplifying branding: It is generally seen as better to start with a simple BIMI setup, focusing on a single logo for consistency, even if an organization has diverse offerings.
- Limited selector use: While technically possible to use different logos with selectors, most marketers report that only the default BIMI selector is being actively observed by email clients at present.
- ESP limitations: Some ESPs (email service providers) do not support multiple BIMI selectors, reinforcing the need to stick with a single, default logo configuration. This is a common question about BIMI email authentication.
Key considerations
- Unified identity: Even with multiple brands under one organization, consider if a single, overarching brand logo would serve the primary goal of brand awareness better within the current BIMI landscape.
- Over-complication: Avoid complicating your BIMI setup with multiple logos using selectors if the majority of email clients don't actively look for them. This simplifies BIMI setup and troubleshooting.
- Brand alignment: Carefully consider how different brand logos might interact or potentially confuse subscribers if they appear inconsistently across emails from the same primary domain.
- Prioritize core authentication: Ensure your foundational email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is robust before delving into advanced BIMI configurations, as this is critical for logo display. The Mailgun blog offers a good overview of BIMI setup steps.
Marketer view
An email marketer from Email Geeks suggests that implementing BIMI with multiple logos is technically possible but might overcomplicate the initial setup. They recommend starting simply and then exploring more complex configurations if necessary. Brand recognition is often clearest with a single, consistent logo.
Marketer view
A marketer from Customer Engagement Blog highlights that BIMI's primary benefit is displaying an authorized brand logo for brand recognition and trust. They note that the logo should accurately represent the brand and not be misleading, which typically implies a consistent single logo approach for a domain.
What the experts say
Experts in email deliverability and authentication confirm that while the BIMI specification technically supports multiple logos through selectors, the actual implementation and widespread adoption by mailbox providers are lagging. The consensus among experts is that most major email clients currently only parse the default BIMI record, making the effort to implement varied logos via selectors largely ineffective for broad visibility. They advise focusing on a robust, single logo strategy that adheres to the strict BIMI requirements, ensuring the foundational authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are correctly configured as prerequisites for any logo display.
Key opinions
- Technical possibility: Experts acknowledge that different logos can technically be configured under different BIMI selectors within DNS records.
- Limited adoption: Despite the technical allowance, most mailbox providers are currently only looking at the default._bimi selector, meaning multiple logos via selectors are not widely displayed.
- Slow traction: It is anticipated that widespread support for multiple BIMI selectors will take time to gain traction among email providers and ESPs.
- Key supporters: Only a few companies have publicly expressed robust support for BIMI, including Verizon Media, Google, and Fastmail, with Fastmail being one of the few actively checking selectors.
Key considerations
- Strategic implementation: Prioritize a single, robust BIMI logo implementation for your primary brand identity, as this is currently the most impactful approach.
- Monitor support: Keep an eye on announcements from mailbox providers and the BIMI Group for updates on selector support. The BIMI Group website is the best resource for official information.
- Focus on fundamentals: Ensure your DMARC policy is at enforcement (quarantine or reject) and aligns correctly with your SPF and DKIM records, as these are critical for BIMI to work. This directly affects BIMI implementation requirements.
- SVG compliance: Any logo used for BIMI must be in the SVG Tiny PS format and meet specific validation criteria to be displayed correctly. Our guide on BIMI SVG requirements and validation provides further details.
Expert view
A deliverability expert from Email Geeks notes that while it's technically feasible to have different logos under different selectors, current observation suggests that only the default._bimi selector is being actively checked by most email services.
Expert view
An expert from Word to the Wise suggests that for BIMI to be effective, the brand logo displayed must be easily recognizable by users. While multiple logos can be supported (like with DKIM), the emphasis is on recognition, which implies clarity and consistency for the end-user.
What the documentation says
Official BIMI documentation and related technical resources confirm the specification's allowance for multiple logos via selectors. However, they also implicitly or explicitly highlight that the practical implementation of these advanced features depends heavily on support from mailbox providers. The focus remains on core requirements: robust email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC at enforcement) and strict SVG logo formatting. While the framework exists for flexibility, current advice leans towards simpler, widely supported configurations to ensure maximum brand visibility and deliverability.
Key findings
- Selector capability: The BIMI standard includes provisions for selectors, enabling domain and brand owners to use multiple logos for a given domain or for A/B testing purposes.
- Single logo primary: Currently, BIMI documentation often emphasizes the support for one logo across multiple domains and subdomains, reinforcing a singular brand identity.
- Strict logo requirements: All BIMI logos must be in SVG Tiny Portable/Secure image format and meet specific formatting criteria to be compliant and displayed. Learn about recommended SVG dimensions for BIMI.
- Authentication prerequisite: BIMI requires robust email authentication (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC with an enforcement policy) for the logo to appear, as a security measure against phishing and spoofing.
Key considerations
- Adoption limitations: While selectors are part of the specification, their practical utility is currently limited by the fact that many email clients and providers do not actively process them. The BIMI Group website provides guidance on implementing selectors.
- Brand representation: The logo used with BIMI must be readily displayed at various resolutions and clearly recognized as associated with the brand, regardless of whether multiple logos are used or not.
- Trademark verification: For the highest level of trust and adoption (especially with Verified Mark Certificates or VMCs), the logo must typically be a registered trademark, adding a layer of verification to brand identity. Review the requirements for using a word mark with BIMI.
- Consistency over complexity: Focus on ensuring your primary brand logo meets all BIMI guidelines and displays consistently, rather than investing heavily in multiple selector configurations that may not yet be widely supported.
Technical article
BIMI Group documentation outlines that BIMI selectors offer a method for domain and brand owners to implement multiple logos for a given domain, as well as facilitate A/B testing, with minimal DNS record adjustments.
Technical article
Mailgun's technical tips for BIMI setup emphasize that confirming email authentication alignment (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is the crucial first step. Without this, no logo can be displayed, irrespective of logo count or selector usage.
Related resources
12 resources
Related pages
What are common questions and answers about BIMI email authentication?
What are the requirements and implementation steps for BIMI?
How to set up BIMI and Google Promotion Tab logos, and troubleshoot SVG issues?
What are the recommended SVG dimensions for BIMI and how should I create the SVG?
What are the BIMI requirements for SVG files and Yahoo brand recognition?
How do I implement BIMI for multiple brands with subdomains?
What are the requirements for BIMI SVG files and how do I validate them?
Which email clients actually support BIMI?
Understanding the business value and ROI of implementing BIMI
A simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM
