Why is Yahoo Mail displaying the wrong brand URL next to the purple check mark?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 21 Jun 2025
Updated 18 Aug 2025
8 min read
It can be unsettling to see your brand's emails in Yahoo Mail displaying an incorrect URL next to the familiar purple checkmark. This small detail, meant to build recipient trust and verify sender legitimacy, can inadvertently undermine your brand's credibility if it points to the wrong domain. Many senders invest significant effort into setting up email authentication, including DMARC, SPF, and DKIM, only to encounter an unexpected URL displayed by Yahoo.
This purple checkmark and the associated brand URL are key visual indicators within Yahoo Mail, designed to help users identify legitimate senders and prevent phishing attempts. When the URL is incorrect, it raises questions about the email's authenticity and can lead to confusion or mistrust among your subscribers. Understanding the underlying mechanisms Yahoo uses for this feature is crucial for diagnosing and resolving the problem.
I often see email senders puzzled by this behavior, especially when their BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) logo is displaying correctly, yet the URL is off. It points to a unique aspect of Yahoo's email handling that differs from other mailbox providers. This guide will clarify why this happens and what steps you can take to correct the displayed brand URL.
Understanding the Yahoo purple checkmark and brand URL
The purple checkmark and accompanying brand URL in Yahoo Mail are part of their efforts to enhance email safety and security for users. While many mailbox providers use BIMI to display logos, this particular URL feature is a proprietary Yahoo function. It operates independently of your BIMI record, meaning a correctly configured BIMI setup won't necessarily dictate the URL Yahoo displays next to the checkmark.
Yahoo's system attempts to identify the primary brand associated with the sending domain and then augment that with relevant brand information, such as the official homepage URL. This is done through a combination of internal algorithms and potentially machine learning models. The goal is to provide recipients with quick, reliable information about the sender's identity, reducing the risk of phishing where malicious actors might spoof legitimate brands.
It's important to differentiate this from the simple display of an href link's underlying URL or basic sender authentication. The purple checkmark signifies that Yahoo has verified the sender as legitimate through its own internal processes and associated a brand with it. The URL displayed is Yahoo's best guess at the brand's official web presence.
Why the wrong URL might appear
The primary reason Yahoo Mail might display an incorrect brand URL is due to its automated systems making an error in identifying the true brand association. This machine learning (ML) model, while sophisticated, can sometimes misinterpret domain relationships, especially in complex corporate structures or when brands operate multiple domains for different purposes.
For instance, if your email is sent from news.yourbrand.com, but Yahoo's system has a stronger, pre-existing association with parentcompany.com or a different related domain, it might default to that perceived 'main' URL. This can be particularly problematic for brands that have recently merged, restructured, or operate under various sub-brands or regional domains.
Another factor could be historical data or public records that Yahoo's system indexes. If there are old domain registrations, redirects, or mentions on the internet that link your sending domain to a different primary website, Yahoo's ML model might pick up on those signals and incorrectly assign the brand URL. Unlike DKIM permerrors or clear domain blocklist entries which have clear technical fixes, this issue often requires direct intervention from Yahoo.
This proprietary Yahoo feature for displaying brand URLs is not directly controlled by your BIMI record. While BIMI governs the display of your logo, the accompanying URL is determined by Yahoo's internal systems. This means that even with a perfectly configured BIMI record, you might still encounter an incorrect URL if Yahoo's algorithm misidentifies your primary brand domain.
Troubleshooting steps and solutions
Since this is a proprietary Yahoo feature, the most effective way to correct an incorrect brand URL is to contact Yahoo Mail's sender support directly. They have the ability to review and manually adjust the brand information associated with your sending domains.
Steps to take
Gather information: Collect all relevant details, including your sending domain(s), the incorrect URL Yahoo is displaying, and the correct URL you wish to have shown. Provide examples of emails where this issue occurs.
Contact Yahoo sender support:Use the contact form available on their sender's website. Clearly explain the issue, emphasizing that it's the brand URL next to the purple checkmark that is incorrect, and not a BIMI logo display issue.
Be persistent: It may take some time for them to review your case and implement a correction. Follow up politely if you don't receive a timely response.
While you are engaging with Yahoo support, it's also a good idea to review your DNS records, particularly your DMARC record, to ensure all elements related to your brand's identity are consistent. This might help Yahoo's systems in the long run, even if the immediate fix is manual.
Preventing future issues and best practices
Although the immediate fix for an incorrect Yahoo brand URL is often a direct request to Yahoo, there are general best practices for email senders that promote brand consistency and proper identification across all mailbox providers. These practices help ensure your email program is robust and less prone to deliverability issues, including emails going to spam.
Consistent domain usage: Try to use a consistent set of domains for your email sending, especially for your From address, Return-Path, and DMARC alignment. This reduces ambiguity for mailbox providers like Yahoo.
Proper DMARC configuration: Ensure your DMARC policy is set up correctly with alignment, as strong authentication signals contribute to trust.
Website consistency: Make sure your website's footer, privacy policy, and About Us pages clearly state your primary domain and any associated brands.
By maintaining clear and consistent brand identity across all your digital touchpoints, you help not only Yahoo but all email providers accurately identify and display your brand information. This proactive approach minimizes the chances of misidentification and ensures your messages are perceived as trustworthy. It’s a similar logic to how you might debug WordPress image URL issues impacting Yahoo, where consistency is key.
Identifying the problem
Yahoo's display: The purple checkmark appears, but the URL next to it is incorrect (e.g., fnacdarty.com instead of darty.com). This is a visual indicator to the recipient.
BIMI status: Your BIMI logo is displaying correctly, confirming that BIMI itself is not the source of the URL issue. This highlights the independence of Yahoo's feature.
Resolving the discrepancy
Direct communication: The most direct solution is to contact Yahoo Mail's sender support. Explain the incorrect URL and provide the correct one. They can manually update their records.
Patience is key: Since it's a manual process, allow time for Yahoo to review and implement the change. This is not an automated fix.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Maintain consistent branding across all digital assets including your primary website and email sending domains.
Ensure your DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are accurately configured and aligned for all sending domains.
Regularly monitor your email deliverability and sender reputation to catch issues early.
Proactively engage with mailbox provider support for proprietary features when discrepancies arise.
Common pitfalls
Assuming BIMI controls the brand URL next to the checkmark, leading to incorrect troubleshooting.
Ignoring the displayed URL because the BIMI logo is correct, missing a critical trust signal.
Not maintaining a clear, consistent digital footprint across all your brand's online properties.
Failing to contact Yahoo support directly for this specific proprietary issue.
Expert tips
Use Yahoo's sender support contact form as your primary channel for resolution.
Provide clear examples of emails showing the incorrect URL and state your desired URL.
Remember this is a manual fix on Yahoo's side, so patience is required.
Keep your domain information, including WHOIS records, accurate and up-to-date.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says the brand URL next to the purple checkmark in Yahoo Mail is a proprietary feature, not directly related to BIMI. Senders should contact Yahoo support for resolution.
2024-03-15 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says Yahoo's system uses a machine learning model to identify related domains and associate brand information like homepages, and this model can sometimes make errors.
2024-03-15 - Email Geeks
Moving forward
The appearance of an incorrect brand URL next to the Yahoo Mail purple checkmark can be frustrating, especially when you've diligently implemented DMARC and BIMI. However, it's important to remember that this specific URL is part of Yahoo's proprietary system for identifying and validating brands, operating somewhat independently of standard authentication protocols.
The key takeaway is that when Yahoo's machine learning model misidentifies your primary brand domain, the most direct path to correction is to engage with Yahoo's sender support team. While waiting for a resolution, continue to maintain robust email authentication and consistent branding across all your digital properties.
By understanding this nuance and taking the appropriate steps, you can ensure that your brand's emails are not only delivered but also displayed correctly and trusted by your recipients within the Yahoo Mail ecosystem. This attention to detail reinforces your sender reputation and contributes to overall email deliverability success.
Yahoo's display: The purple checkmark appears, but the URL next to it is incorrect (e.g., fnacdarty.com instead of darty.com). This is a visual indicator to the recipient.
