What Is BIMI?
BIMI is an email authentication protocol that allows organizations to display their brand-controlled logo on emails sent from their domain. Unlike email clients that automatically pull logos from various sources, BIMI ensures that only the verified brand owner controls how their logo appears in emails.
By implementing BIMI, brands can enhance email security, boost recognition, and build trust with recipients. It works alongside DMARC, SPF, and DKIM, ensuring strong authentication while visually verifying sender identity reducing the risk of email spoofing and phishing attack.
How Does BIMI Work?
To use BIMI, organizations must first enforce DMARC by setting their policy to either quarantine or reject. Once DMARC is in place, BIMI is configured as a TXT record in the DNS, ensuring email clients recognize the sender’s official logi
- BIMI records are stored in the _bimi DNS namespace
- The record includes the BIMI Version, logo URL, and Verified Mark certificate
- Example of a BIMI record:
default._bimi IN TXT
“v=BIMI1; l=https://yourlogo.svg;a=https://yourcertificate.pem”
With BIMI authentication, emails appear with an official brand logo rather than generic profile icons, increasing recipient engagement and email deliverability
Why Is BIMI Important?
Humans rely heavily on visual verification when identifying trusted sources. BIMI adds a layer of authentication that ensures emails are visible recognizable, leading to:
- Higher email engagement and open rates
- Better brand visibility and trust.
- Enhanced email security against phishing attacks
- Improved ROI on email marketing campaigns
- A more professional and consistent brand identity across inboxes
BIMI also helps prevent email fraud, ensuring that only verified senders can display a logo protecting business from spooging and impersonation attacks.
BIMI Logo Requirements
To implement BIMI, your brand logo must meet specific criteria:
- SVG Format: Logos must be in Scalable Vector Graphics(SVG) format for better scalability and resolution
- Square dimensions: While size doesn’t matter, the logo must be a perfect square
- SVG Tiny 1.2 profile: The logo must comply with SVG BIMI specifications to be compatible with all email providers.
How to prepare an SVG File for BIMI?
To create a BIMI-compliant logo, Adobe Illustrator is a compulsory used tool:
- Ensure there are no bitmaps, linked files, or grouped objects.
- Convert text objects into outlines to maintain proper formatting
- Use the Trace image tool if the logo is image-based
- Export a SVG Tiny 1.2 format for BIMI compatibility
When saving, adjusting settings to
- Color Mode: RGB(not CMYK)
- Decimal Places: Set between 1-3 for precisions
- Base Profile: Change baseProfile=tiny to baseProfile=tiny-ps
BIMI Support Among Major Email Providers
Several major email providers already support BIMI< with more expected to adopt it in the coming years. Currently, BIMI is supported by:
- Google(Gmail)
- Yahoo Mail
- Apple Mail(iOS, macOS, iCloud)
- Fastmail, La Poste, Cloudmark, Onet Poczta, Zone
More email clients are expected to integrate BIMI as it becomes a standard for email authentication and branding.
BIMI and Verified Mark Certificates
A Verified Mark Certificate is an optional but recommended digital certificate that validates a company’s ownership of their brand logo
- VMC ensures that only verified brands can display logos
- Many email providers require a VMC for BIMI implementation
- If no VMC is available, the BIMI record’s “a” attribute must be omitted or set to a=self
A combination of BIMI and VMC helps establish brand credibility, creating a more trusted email ecosystem for businesses and customers
PowerDMARC provides VMC issuance for brands looking to verify and secure their BIMI logo.
BIMI and Google’s Blue Checkmark
Google has introduced a new verification feature for domains with BIMI authentication. Businesses that successfully implement BIMI with DMARC enforcement receive a blue checkmark next to their email sender name in Gmail inboxes, enhancing brand legitimacy and security
BIMI requirements for Google’s Verified Blue Checkmark:
- DMARC Policy: p=quarantine or p=reject
- A valid BIMI record published in the DNS
- A verified Mark Certificate for the logo
By meeting these email authentication standards, businesses can enhance their credibility, increase email engagement rates, and protect their brand from impersonation attempts.
