Are gradients allowed in BIMI SVG logos?
Yes, gradients are allowed in BIMI SVG logos, but only when they stay inside the SVG Tiny-PS profile. In practice, that means simple linear and radial gradients are acceptable, while filter-based effects, embedded raster images, animation, scripting, and complex editor output are not acceptable.
The problem is usually not the idea of a gradient. The problem is how the design tool exports the gradient. I have seen a clean gradient in a design file become an embedded bitmap, a masked object, a filter, or a pile of markup that fails Tiny-PS validation. That is why teams often hear conflicting advice: the designer is right that many gradient exports fail, but the strict answer is that gradients themselves are not banned.
- Allowed: Simple SVG linear and radial gradients that validate as Tiny-PS.
- Rejected: Rasterized gradients, filters, masks that depend on unsupported effects, scripts, and animation.
- Risk: A validator error can come from SVG content, DNS, file hosting, redirects, certificate checks, or a failed fetch.
- Preference: I keep BIMI logos simple enough to work as a flat mark first, then add a restrained gradient only if it helps recognition.
What the BIMI SVG profile allows
Infographic showing simple linear and radial gradients as the safe BIMI SVG choices.
BIMI uses a restricted SVG profile, not the full browser SVG feature set. The BIMI Group guidance says SVG Tiny-PS supports simple gradient definitions, specifically linear and radial gradients, while excluding filters, embedded images, scripting, and animations. That distinction matters because many visual effects that look like gradients in a design file are not plain SVG gradients after export.
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|---|---|---|
Linear gradient | Allowed | Simple stops and no filter dependency. |
Radial gradient | Allowed | Simple radius, center, and color stops. |
Embedded bitmap | Rejected | No PNG or JPEG data inside the SVG. |
Filter effect | Rejected | No blur, shadow, lighting, or blend effect. |
Animation | Rejected | The logo must be static. |
Gradient and effect handling for BIMI SVG logos.
One subtle detail is that the mailbox provider never sees the design file. It sees the hosted SVG. I treat a browser preview as a smoke test only, because a browser accepts many SVG patterns that BIMI validation rejects. The review has to happen at the XML level, with the final URL, final file size, final MIME handling, and final DNS record all in place.
The practical rule
A gradient is fine when it is part of the vector structure. A gradient is a problem when it has been turned into a picture, a complex effect, or editor-specific markup that the restricted profile cannot render safely.
- Keep: A small number of color stops and a clear shape.
- Remove: Effects that require filters, opacity stacks, or raster output.
- Check: The final exported SVG, not the original design file.
Where gradients usually break
The export step is where most gradient BIMI problems start. A design file can contain a perfectly reasonable gradient, but the exported SVG can contain unsupported objects. I look at the raw SVG before I blame BIMI because the visual preview alone does not tell me whether the file is Tiny-PS friendly.
BIMI-safe intent
- Shape: The brand mark still reads as a simple silhouette.
- Color: The gradient has a few stops and clear contrast.
- Markup: The gradient is defined in SVG and applied to a path or shape.
Risky export
- Bitmap: The gradient becomes embedded image data.
- Effect: The file relies on blur, shadow, masking, or blending.
- Weight: The SVG becomes too large or too dense for the profile.
Simple linear gradient patternxml
<svg version="1.2" baseProfile="tiny-ps" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 96 96"> <title>Example BIMI logo</title> <defs> <linearGradient id="g" x1="0" y1="0" x2="1" y2="1"> <stop offset="0" stop-color="#f25533"/> <stop offset="1" stop-color="#29292f"/> </linearGradient> </defs> <circle cx="48" cy="48" r="42" fill="url(#g)"/> </svg>
That example is intentionally plain. Real brand artwork needs its own review, but this is the pattern I want to see: vector geometry, a simple gradient definition, and no hidden dependency on a raster layer or visual effect.
How I prepare a gradient logo
Before touching gradients, I make sure the logo works at inbox size. The BIMI SVG dimensions page covers sizing and creation details, but the short version is simple: a small inbox logo punishes fine detail. If the flat mark is weak, a gradient will not save it.
- Simplify: Start with the cleanest approved mark and remove small internal details.
- Flatten: Convert decorative effects into ordinary vector shapes where possible.
- Reduce: Use fewer gradient stops and keep the color change readable.
- Export: Export as Tiny-PS or clean SVG, then inspect the actual XML.
- Validate: Run the final hosted file through BIMI SVG and BIMI record validation.
- Fallback: Keep a flat-color version ready if the gradient keeps creating unsupported output.
Flowchart showing the steps to prepare, export, validate, and publish a BIMI SVG logo.
BIMI TXT record pointing at the SVGdns
default._bimi.example.com TXT "v=BIMI1; l=https://assets.example.com/bimi.svg; a=;"
Do not skip DMARC
BIMI does not start with the logo file. It starts with email authentication. A domain usually needs DMARC at enforcement, meaning p=quarantine or p=reject, before BIMI is useful with major mailbox providers. I would not spend hours tuning a gradient before I know the domain can pass the DMARC for BIMI requirements.
For that side of the project, Suped's DMARC monitoring is the best overall practical fit for most teams because it turns authentication data into specific fixes. It brings DMARC, SPF, DKIM, hosted DMARC, hosted SPF, SPF flattening, hosted MTA-STS, real-time alerts, blocklist (blacklist) monitoring, deliverability insights, and MSP reporting into one product.
If I only need a quick readiness check before working on the SVG, I start with the domain health checker and then move into monitoring once real mail sources appear in reports.
?
What's your domain score?
Deep-scan SPF, DKIM & DMARC records for email deliverability and security issues.
DMARC record detail view showing SPF, DKIM, DMARC, rDNS diagnostics, and DNS records
Where Suped fits
Suped's product is most useful once the logo file is close and the domain needs a clean path to enforcement. Automated issue detection, steps to fix, and alerts reduce the guesswork around SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and policy staging.
That matters for BIMI because a perfect SVG still will not help if the domain has unauthenticated senders, broken SPF alignment, missing DKIM signatures, or a DMARC policy stuck at monitoring mode.
DMARC record that can support BIMIdns
_dmarc.example.com TXT "v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.com; pct=100"
How I validate before publishing
I validate in layers. First I check the SVG file. Then I check the BIMI DNS record. Then I check DMARC. The DMARC checker handles the DMARC record layer, while the SVG and certificate guide is the better next stop for the BIMI logo and certificate side.
Do not diagnose gradients from fetch errors
An error mentioning curl or libcurl can point to URL fetching, redirects, TLS, local networking, or a validator-side retrieval problem. It does not prove the gradient is invalid. I separate fetch failures from SVG syntax failures before changing artwork.
- Fetch: Confirm the SVG URL returns the file directly over HTTPS.
- Inspect: Search the SVG for embedded image data, filters, scripts, and animation tags.
- Size: Keep the file small and remove editor metadata.
- Render: Preview the logo at the small size where mailbox providers will display it.
- Authenticate: Verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC alignment before treating BIMI as ready.
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|---|---|---|
Fetch error | URL or network | HTTPS, redirects, file access. |
SVG profile error | Unsupported markup | Images, filters, scripts. |
Logo too busy | Design density | Small-size preview. |
BIMI not shown | Auth gap | DMARC enforcement. |
Common validation symptoms and where I look first.
Gradient readiness bands
How I judge whether a gradient logo is worth pushing through BIMI validation.
Ready
Ship
Simple vector gradient, small file, readable mark, clean validation.
Review
Fix
Gradient works visually, but export needs cleanup or file size reduction.
Rebuild
Redo
Raster data, filter effects, or unreadable small-size rendering.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Keep gradients simple enough that a plain icon still reads clearly at mobile inbox size.
Start with the trademark shape first, then add color depth only where it helps recognition.
Validate the exported SVG, not the source artwork, because exporters change the file.
Common pitfalls
Do not let the export create embedded bitmap data when a gradient is hard to flatten.
Avoid tiny details, because the inbox logo has less visual space than the design canvas.
Treat fetch errors separately from SVG syntax errors so the fix stays focused and fast.
Expert tips
Keep one approved flat-color fallback so the team can ship if a gradient fails late.
Ask designers for fewer stops and no filters before the final Tiny-PS export pass.
Review the public SVG URL with a fresh browser session before checking BIMI again.
Marketer from Email Geeks says gradients can work in BIMI, but the implementation must stay inside the Tiny-PS subset rather than general SVG.
2025-07-22 - Email Geeks
Marketer from Email Geeks says the practical limit is not all gradients, but which gradients the exported SVG actually contains.
2025-07-22 - Email Geeks
The practical answer
Gradients are allowed in BIMI SVG logos when they are simple SVG linear or radial gradients and the finished file validates as Tiny-PS. They are not allowed when the export turns them into embedded bitmap data, unsupported filters, animation, scripts, or markup that the restricted profile cannot use.
My working rule is simple: design the mark so it works without the gradient, then keep the gradient modest enough that it survives export and validation. If the gradient keeps making the file fragile, ship the flat version and keep the BIMI project moving.
The logo is only one part of BIMI readiness. Suped's product helps with the DMARC side that often blocks BIMI adoption: source discovery, authentication failures, policy staging, hosted records, alerts, and clear steps to fix the domain before the logo goes live.
