Summary
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) enhances email trust by displaying your brand's logo next to your sender name in supported inboxes. However, achieving BIMI compliance and troubleshooting authentication failures can be complex. The core requirements revolve around robust email authentication, specifically DMARC at an enforcement policy, along with a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) and a properly formatted SVG logo. Many common issues stem from misconfigurations in DMARC, SPF, or DKIM records, or problems with the VMC and logo itself. Continuous monitoring of DMARC reports is crucial for identifying and resolving these authentication discrepancies to ensure your logo displays consistently. For more information on the implementation process, read our guide on what are the requirements and implementation steps for BIMI. Proper email authentication is foundational for BIMI.
Key findings
- DMARC enforcement: A DMARC policy set to p=quarantine or p=reject is a non-negotiable requirement for BIMI.
- VMC necessity: For prominent providers like Google, a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is mandatory for BIMI logo display.
- Trademarked logo: A VMC requires your brand's logo to be legally trademarked in an accepted jurisdiction.
- Underlying authentication: BIMI relies heavily on correct SPF and DKIM authentication and DMARC alignment; failures in these areas will prevent BIMI from working.
- Volume considerations: Some mailbox providers may not display BIMI logos for low sending volumes, irrespective of perfect configuration.
Key considerations
- DMARC policy rollout: Transitioning your DMARC policy from p=none to p=quarantine or p=reject should only occur after thorough monitoring of DMARC reports to ensure legitimate emails are not failing authentication. Our guide on safely transitioning your DMARC policy can help.
- Identifying failures: Use DMARC reports to distinguish between spoofed emails (which should fail) and legitimate emails that are failing authentication due to misconfiguration.
- Vendor specific settings: If using third-party sending services (e.g., Hubspot), ensure their SPF and DKIM settings are correctly configured and aligned with your domain.
- SVG logo format: The BIMI logo must be in SVG format and meet specific technical requirements to render correctly. This includes being square, using the tiny 1.2 profile, and potentially hosted on a secure server (HTTPS). Refer to Mailgun's technical tips for DNS record setup.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often approach BIMI with a mix of excitement for brand visibility and apprehension about its technical demands. Common concerns revolve around the mandatory nature of a VMC for major mailbox providers like Google, the perceived risk of enforcing a DMARC policy at quarantine or reject, and the overall impact on email deliverability. While BIMI primarily offers a visual trust signal, marketers recognize its potential to boost engagement and brand recognition. The consensus is that strong underlying email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is the true driver of deliverability, with BIMI serving as an ancillary benefit that enhances inbox presence. Understanding common questions and answers about BIMI can help marketers navigate these challenges.
Key opinions
- VMC is crucial: Many marketers learn that a VMC (and a trademarked logo) is a non-negotiable requirement for BIMI display, especially with major providers like Google.
- Deliverability impact: While not a direct deliverability improver, BIMI can enhance engagement and brand trust, contributing indirectly to positive sender reputation.
- DMARC policy fear: There's often apprehension among marketers about moving their DMARC policy to quarantine, fearing legitimate emails might be affected.
- Low volume challenges: Marketers observe that even with proper setup, BIMI logos may not appear for low-volume senders.
- Authentication comes first: The primary focus should always be on establishing solid SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication before pursuing BIMI.
Key considerations
- DMARC monitoring period: A monitoring period of at least 30 days for DMARC reports is recommended to capture all legitimate sending sources before moving to an enforcement policy.
- Authentication troubleshooting: Marketers need to actively use DMARC reports to identify why legitimate emails might be failing SPF or DKIM, and address these issues with their sending platforms.
- VMC cost and process: Be aware of the cost (around $1,000 USD) and the process of acquiring a VMC from recognized Certificate Authorities like Entrust or DigiCert. For costs and steps, see our article on BIMI implementation costs.
- Seeking expert help: For complex DMARC and BIMI setups, engaging a DMARC consultant can be a worthwhile investment to ensure proper configuration and avoid deliverability issues.
- New authentication requirements: Stay informed about evolving email authentication requirements from major mailbox providers like Yahoo and Gmail, as these can impact BIMI display and overall deliverability. For more on this, check out avoiding common BIMI pitfalls.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks asks about the necessity of a VMC. They inquired if a Verified Mark Certificate is truly mandatory for their BIMI logo to appear, particularly since they had set up other aspects correctly but still observed no logo.
Marketer view
Marketer from Quora advises checking DMARC reports thoroughly. They suggest that all DMARC reports should be reviewed meticulously to identify any unknown sending sources that might be impacting authentication alignment for BIMI.
What the experts say
Deliverability experts underscore that BIMI is a brand visibility feature contingent on strong email authentication, rather than a direct deliverability booster itself. They consistently point to DMARC enforcement as a critical prerequisite, emphasizing that policies like p=quarantine or p=reject are essential for BIMI to function. Experts also highlight the mandatory nature of Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs) for display in key inboxes like Gmail, which in turn require trademarked logos. They advise continuous, long-term DMARC report monitoring to ensure all legitimate sending sources are properly authenticated before moving to stricter policies. Identifying and fixing legitimate authentication failures (e.g., from third-party senders) is paramount to avoid mail being quarantined or rejected. For further troubleshooting, see our page on how to validate BIMI records and fix common errors. Understanding common BIMI issues can further assist troubleshooting.
Key opinions
- BIMI's role: BIMI gives you the deliverability you deserve, meaning it enables a trusted visual experience for senders who already have strong authentication, rather than directly improving deliverability.
- VMC for google: A VMC is indeed mandatory for BIMI logo display with Google Workspace (Gmail).
- DMARC enforcement: DMARC must be set to an enforcement policy (either p=quarantine or p=reject) for BIMI to work.
- Minimal risk with strong authentication: Moving to an enforcement DMARC policy is only risky if both SPF and DKIM authentication consistently fail for legitimate emails.
- DMARC tools for readiness: The primary purpose of DMARC monitoring tools is to inform you when your domain is ready for an enforcement policy.
- Beware of spoofing: Do not attempt to authenticate spoofed emails, as this can severely damage your domain's reputation.
Key considerations
- Continuous DMARC monitoring: Monitor DMARC reports for at least 30 days, or a full monthly cycle, to identify all legitimate email streams and address any authentication failures before moving to a stricter DMARC policy.
- Prefer reject over quarantine: For maximum protection and detailed failure insights, p=reject is often preferred over p=quarantine, except for very high sending volumes where p=quarantine might be a safer intermediate step.
- Trademarking and VMC purchase: Ensure your logo is trademarked exactly as it will appear, and be prepared to purchase a VMC from an accredited Certificate Authority (CA) such as Entrust or DigiCert. Learn more about BIMI accredited certificate providers.
- Addressing failed legitimate emails: If legitimate emails from services like Hubspot show SPF/DKIM failures, you must adjust the settings within those platforms to ensure proper authentication before implementing stricter DMARC policies. For help, consider Google's prerequisites for BIMI and VMC certificates.
Expert view
Expert (steve589) from Email Geeks states that Google requires a VMC. They confirmed that a Verified Mark Certificate is a necessary requirement for BIMI logo display when sending to Google's mailboxes.
Expert view
Expert from WordtotheWise.com stresses the necessity of a perfectly formatted SVG logo for BIMI display. They advise that the SVG file for the BIMI logo must adhere to strict technical specifications to ensure it renders correctly across all supporting email clients.
What the documentation says
Official documentation and technical guides for BIMI consistently emphasize foundational email authentication as the bedrock for successful implementation. Key requirements include having a DMARC policy set to an enforcement mode (quarantine or reject), ensuring perfect alignment of SPF and DKIM, and acquiring a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) for certain mailbox providers like Google. The logo itself must adhere to strict SVG formatting rules. Authentication failures, malformed BIMI records, or incorrect VMC linking will prevent the logo from displaying. These sources provide detailed steps and tools for validation, reinforcing that BIMI is an extension of strong email security practices. For details on logo requirements, see our guide on BIMI SVG file requirements and validation. BIMI validators can help identify issues.
Key findings
- DMARC policy enforcement: BIMI explicitly requires a DMARC policy of p=quarantine or p=reject to ensure strong authentication.
- VMC requirement for major clients: Providers like Gmail and Yahoo have made a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) essential for BIMI logo display.
- Prerequisite email authentication: Proper setup and alignment of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are fundamental steps before attempting BIMI implementation.
- Logo specifications: The BIMI logo must be trademarked and provided in a specific SVG format (SVG Tiny 1.2 profile) with a secure hosting URL.
- BIMI DNS record: A correctly formatted BIMI TXT record must be published in the domain's DNS, pointing to the VMC and SVG logo.
Key considerations
- Missing or malformed records: A BIMI logo will not display if the BIMI record is missing, malformed, or if the associated SPF, DKIM, or DMARC authentication fails.
- DMARC percentage: Some documentation suggests ensuring your DMARC policy is set to pct=100 for maximum enforcement, although this is not always explicitly stated as a hard requirement for BIMI itself.
- Troubleshooting tools: Utilize BIMI lookup and validation tools to check your record configuration and identify potential errors before widespread deployment.
- Alignment verification: Confirm that your email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM) are correctly set up and are achieving alignment with your DMARC record. For specific Yahoo issues, see BIMI logo display on Yahoo.
Technical article
Documentation from BIMI Group states that DMARC must be at an enforcement policy (quarantine or reject) for BIMI. They emphasize that for BIMI's strong authentication requirement, the DMARC policy must be set to p=quarantine or p=reject.
Technical article
Documentation from DuoCircle mentions that a DMARC policy of p=none will not allow BIMI to function. They explicitly state that if your DMARC policy is set to p=none, your brand logo will not be displayed via BIMI.
Related resources
15 resources
Related pages
What are the requirements and implementation steps for BIMI?
How do I set up DMARC for BIMI and what are the key considerations?
Do I need a VMC for BIMI to work with Google and Gmail?
How do I validate BIMI records and fix common errors?
A simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM
A guide to validating your BIMI SVG and certificate
How to safely transition your DMARC policy to quarantine or reject
Understanding and troubleshooting DMARC reports from Google and Yahoo
Understanding the business value and ROI of implementing BIMI
Which email clients actually support BIMI?
