Question 1

What is BIMI?

Accepted Answer

BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is an email specification that allows organizations to display their brand logo next to authenticated emails in supporting email clients. It builds on existing email authentication standards like DMARC, SPF, and DKIM to verify the sender's identity before showing the logo.

Question 2

How do brand logos appear in email inboxes?

Accepted Answer

When BIMI is properly configured, email clients that support BIMI (like Gmail, Apple Mail, and Yahoo Mail) display your brand logo as the sender avatar next to your emails. This replaces the default generic avatar or initials, making your emails instantly recognizable and increasing brand trust.

Question 3

What are the requirements for BIMI?

Accepted Answer

BIMI requires: (1) A DMARC policy of quarantine or reject with 100% enforcement, (2) A valid SPF and/or DKIM setup, (3) A BIMI DNS TXT record at default._bimi.yourdomain.com, (4) A logo in SVG Tiny PS format hosted via HTTPS, and (5) Optionally, a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) from a trusted certificate authority.

Question 4

Does Gmail support BIMI?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Gmail supports BIMI but requires a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) to display your logo. Without a VMC, Gmail will not show the BIMI logo even if the DNS record is correctly configured. Other providers like Apple Mail and Yahoo Mail may display BIMI logos without a VMC.

Question 5

What is a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC)?

Accepted Answer

A VMC is a digital certificate issued by a trusted certificate authority (like DigiCert or Entrust) that verifies your organization's ownership of a trademarked logo. It's referenced in your BIMI record via the 'a=' tag. Gmail and some other providers require a VMC before displaying your BIMI logo. The logo must be a registered trademark to obtain a VMC.