Summary
The Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) standard allows your brand's logo to appear next to your emails in a recipient's inbox. This visual verification helps increase brand recognition and trust. While not all email clients support BIMI, major providers have adopted it, displaying logos in various views across their web and mobile applications. Its effectiveness largely depends on robust email authentication, specifically an enforced DMARC policy.
Key findings
- Cross-platform display: BIMI logos generally appear in both the web and mobile application versions of supporting email clients.
- Key client support: Gmail (web and app) and Yahoo Mail (web and app on both iOS and Android) are confirmed to display BIMI logos.
- Varying placement: The logo typically shows in the list view on mobile apps and in the message view on web interfaces.
- Limited support: Some email clients, such as the Apple Mail app, do not currently support BIMI, meaning your logo will not appear there.
Key considerations
- DMARC enforcement: A prerequisite for BIMI is having a properly configured DMARC policy set to enforcement (quarantine or reject). For more details on this, explore BIMI implementation requirements.
- Verified mark certificate (VMC): Many major mailbox providers, including Gmail, require a VMC to display your BIMI logo, adding an extra layer of verification.
- Caching and bugs: Be aware that there can be delays or occasional bugs with BIMI logo display, particularly within Yahoo Mail. Understanding BIMI availability for email clients is important.
- Provider discretion: Even with correct setup, the ultimate decision on displaying the logo rests with the individual mailbox provider. For more information on where BIMI logos display, you can consult the BIMI Group's official resources.
What email marketers say
Email marketers widely confirm that BIMI is effective in displaying brand logos within the inbox across popular email clients and their respective mobile applications. They value the enhanced brand visibility and the subtle trust signal it sends to recipients before an email is even opened. While general consensus is positive, some acknowledge the nuances in implementation and potential display inconsistencies.
Key opinions
- Mobile app visibility: Marketers frequently report seeing their BIMI logos appear in the Yahoo Mail and Gmail mobile apps, particularly on iOS and Android devices.
- Dual display: The logo is confirmed to show both in the inbox list view on mobile apps and within the message view when accessed via a web browser.
- Enhanced recognition: The ability to display a brand logo directly in the inbox is seen as a significant win for brand recognition and visual marketing.
- Apple mail limitation: A common observation is that the Apple Mail app does not support BIMI, limiting the universal reach of the logo display.
Key considerations
- Yahoo mail specifics: Marketers note that Yahoo Mail might have longer caching periods or occasional bugs that can delay the BIMI logo's appearance, potentially requiring troubleshooting if your BIMI logo is not showing up on Yahoo.
- Getting noticed: Smaller email senders or those just starting with BIMI might find that direct outreach or connections with mailbox providers can help expedite their logo's display, particularly with platforms like Yahoo.
- Verification methods: It's important to confirm that the logo displaying is indeed via BIMI and not another, less secure method, to ensure brand protection. The impact of BIMI on email engagement metrics is also a key benefit.
- Brand visibility benefits: Marketers emphasize that BIMI helps brands stand out in crowded inboxes, contributing to a stronger visual presence and immediate recognition for recipients, as discussed in detail by AWeber's blog on brand logo appearance.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks notes that BIMI logos are indeed visible within the Yahoo Mail app on iOS devices. This provides a clear indication that mobile email clients are actively supporting and rendering BIMI.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks confirms that the Gmail app on iOS also displays BIMI logos. This broadens the reach of BIMI beyond just web interfaces, making it effective for mobile users.
What the experts say
Experts in email deliverability and authentication view BIMI as a crucial advancement for establishing brand authenticity and combating phishing. They highlight that while the user-facing benefit is the visible logo, the real strength of BIMI lies in its reliance on robust authentication standards like DMARC. This technical foundation ensures that only legitimate senders can display their logos, enhancing overall email security.
Key opinions
- Authentication dependency: Experts agree that BIMI's core value is tied to the enforcement of strong email authentication protocols, primarily DMARC, ensuring verified brand identity.
- Trust signal: The display of a verified logo serves as a powerful trust indicator, helping recipients quickly identify legitimate senders and reducing the likelihood of falling victim to impersonation attacks.
- Client-specific rollout: While major players like Google and Yahoo have embraced BIMI, experts note that adoption is not universal across all email clients, necessitating a clear understanding of which email clients actually support BIMI.
- VMC importance: The Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is increasingly seen as a crucial component for BIMI display, especially with top-tier mailbox providers, solidifying the legal and brand ownership aspect.
Key considerations
- Technical complexity: Implementing BIMI correctly involves precise DNS record setup, SVG logo formatting, and adherence to specific client requirements, which can be technically challenging.
- Evolving landscape: The email client landscape is constantly changing, meaning the visibility and requirements for BIMI might evolve over time, requiring ongoing monitoring and adjustments for optimal display, particularly regarding Microsoft Outlook's support.
- Beyond deliverability: While BIMI is not a direct deliverability factor, experts suggest that the increased trust and brand recognition it provides can indirectly improve user engagement, which in turn positively influences sender reputation and inbox placement.
- Brand reputation synergy: BIMI works best when integrated into a broader strategy for email authentication and brand reputation management, reinforcing trust across all digital touchpoints. An expert at Word to the Wise advises considering BIMI as part of a holistic approach to email security and branding.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource highlights that while BIMI promises a visual brand identity in the inbox, its real power comes from demanding stronger authentication standards like DMARC. This ensures that only legitimate senders can leverage the branding benefit.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise suggests that BIMI offers a clear visual signal to recipients, instantly verifying the sender's identity. This improves the recipient's trust and helps them distinguish legitimate emails from phishing attempts.
What the documentation says
Official documentation and technical specifications for BIMI outline a clear framework for its implementation and expected behavior in email clients. These resources emphasize the critical role of email authentication (particularly DMARC enforcement) and specific graphic file formats (SVG Tiny 1.2) for the brand logo to be displayed. They also detail how mailbox providers interact with BIMI records to retrieve and render the associated visual asset.
Key findings
- Standardized display: BIMI is formally defined as an email standard that enables email clients to display sender-designated logos next to authenticated messages.
- Placement variability: Documentation often notes that the exact location of the logo (e.g., in the message list or within the open email) can differ based on the specific email client's interface design.
- DMARC requirement: A non-negotiable prerequisite for BIMI is that the sending domain must have a DMARC policy at 'quarantine' or 'reject' to ensure strong authentication.
- SVG format: The BIMI logo must be in Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) Tiny 1.2 format, often alongside a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) for major providers.
Key considerations
- VMC necessity: While BIMI itself does not mandate a VMC, the documentation for major mailbox providers, like Gmail, specifies its requirement for BIMI logo display. For more on this, check BIMI requirements for displaying logos in Gmail.
- DNS configuration: The BIMI record is published as a DNS TXT record, and its correct configuration is crucial for mailbox providers to locate and validate the brand logo. Refer to BIMI requirements for SVG files and Yahoo.
- Mailbox provider discretion: Even when all technical specifications are met, documentation implies that mailbox providers retain the final say on rendering BIMI logos, potentially implementing additional criteria or display policies. More information is available on the BIMI Group's comprehensive guide.
Technical article
Documentation from BIMI Group states that the primary purpose of BIMI is to give email senders a way to display their brand's logo next to their authenticated messages. This provides visual recognition in the recipient's inbox, reinforcing brand presence.
Technical article
Documentation from the BIMI Group highlights that a crucial requirement for BIMI adoption is the sender's domain having a DMARC policy at an enforcement level (p=quarantine or p=reject). This ensures that only strongly authenticated emails can leverage BIMI.
Related resources
14 resources
Related pages
Is BIMI available for email clients and what are its implementation requirements?
How to troubleshoot BIMI logo not displaying in Yahoo Mail?
What are the requirements and implementation steps for BIMI?
How do I implement BIMI and get my logo to show in Gmail and Yahoo Mail?
Which email clients actually support BIMI?
Does Microsoft Outlook support BIMI for displaying brand logos in email?
What are common questions and answers about BIMI email authentication?
Does BIMI improve email deliverability?
What are the costs and steps for implementing BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification)?
What are best practices for BIMI logo usage, especially regarding multiple logos and selector support?
