To implement BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification), email senders must meet a specific set of email authentication requirements before their logo can appear in the inbox. At minimum, you need a fully aligned SPF or DKIM setup, a DMARC policy at either quarantine or reject, a properly formatted SVG logo file, and a published BIMI DNS record. Some mailbox providers also require a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) to display the logo. The sections below walk through each requirement in detail so you know exactly what to prepare.
Which email authentication standards does BIMI require?
BIMI requires that your sending domain has both SPF and DKIM configured and properly aligned with your domain, along with a DMARC policy in place. BIMI does not function as a standalone standard – it builds on top of the email authentication stack you already need for healthy deliverability. Without passing DMARC alignment, mailbox providers will not render your brand logo regardless of how your BIMI record is set up.
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) authorizes the IP addresses permitted to send email on behalf of your domain. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a cryptographic signature to outgoing messages that receiving servers can verify. For BIMI to work, at least one of these mechanisms must produce a passing, aligned result – meaning the authenticated domain matches your From header domain. In practice, having both SPF and DKIM passing and aligned gives you the strongest foundation and reduces the risk of DMARC failures caused by forwarding or third-party sending.
What DMARC policy level do you need for BIMI?
BIMI requires a DMARC policy of either p=quarantine or p=reject. A policy of p=none is not sufficient. The quarantine or reject level signals to mailbox providers that your domain actively enforces authentication, which is the trust threshold BIMI is designed to reward with logo display.
Moving from p=none to p=quarantine or p=reject is a meaningful step that requires careful preparation. Before tightening your DMARC policy, you should audit all legitimate sending sources for your domain, ensure each one passes SPF or DKIM alignment, and monitor your DMARC aggregate reports to confirm no authorized mail streams would be caught by the stricter policy. Rushing to a reject policy without this groundwork can result in legitimate email being blocked or sent to spam. Once you have confidence that all your mail streams are authenticated and aligned, raising your policy level unlocks BIMI eligibility.
What is a VMC and when is it required for BIMI?
A VMC (Verified Mark Certificate) is a digital certificate issued by an authorized certification authority that cryptographically ties your brand logo to your domain and confirms trademark ownership. A VMC is required by Gmail and Apple Mail to display your BIMI logo. Without one, those providers will not render the brand indicator even if all other BIMI requirements are met.
Not every mailbox provider enforces the VMC requirement. Some providers, particularly those with smaller market share, display BIMI logos without a VMC as long as the DNS record and logo file are correctly configured. However, given that Gmail and Apple Mail together represent the majority of consumer email opens, most senders pursuing BIMI should plan for VMC acquisition as part of their implementation.
To obtain a VMC, your logo must be a registered trademark in the relevant jurisdiction. The certification authority will verify trademark status before issuing the certificate. This process can take time depending on the status of your trademark registration, so it is worth starting early if trademark filing is still pending.
What logo file format does BIMI accept?
BIMI accepts only the SVG Tiny P/S format (Scalable Vector Graphics, Tiny Portable/Secure profile). Standard SVG files are not valid for BIMI. The SVG Tiny P/S specification is a restricted subset of SVG designed to be safe for rendering in email clients, which means many common SVG features and scripts are explicitly excluded.
Your logo file must also meet these additional requirements:
- The image must be a square with a 1:1 aspect ratio
- The logo should have a solid background (transparent backgrounds are not supported)
- The file must be hosted at a publicly accessible HTTPS URL
- The SVG must conform strictly to the Tiny P/S profile – invalid elements will cause the logo to fail validation
Many standard design tools export regular SVG files rather than the Tiny P/S variant. You will likely need a specialist tool or manual conversion to produce a compliant file. Validating your SVG against the BIMI specification before publishing your DNS record saves troubleshooting time later.
How do you publish a BIMI DNS record?
A BIMI DNS record is a TXT record published at a specific subdomain of your sending domain. The record follows this format: default._bimi.yourdomain.com with a value that includes the BIMI version, the URL of your hosted SVG logo, and optionally the URL of your VMC file.
A standard BIMI TXT record looks like this:
- Host/Name:
default._bimi.yourdomain.com - Type: TXT
- Value:
v=BIMI1; l=https://yourdomain.com/logo.svg; a=https://yourdomain.com/vmc.pem
The l= tag points to your SVG logo file. The a= tag points to your VMC certificate file and is required when submitting to providers that enforce VMC validation. If you are publishing a BIMI record for a provider that does not require a VMC, you can omit the a= tag, though including it does not cause harm. After publishing, allow time for DNS propagation and use a BIMI inspection tool to verify the record resolves correctly and that your logo file passes validation.
Which mailbox providers support BIMI today?
As of 2026, the major mailbox providers that support BIMI include Gmail, Apple Mail, Yahoo Mail, Fastmail, and Zoho Mail. Gmail and Apple Mail both require a VMC for logo display. Yahoo Mail and Fastmail have supported BIMI for longer and, in some configurations, display logos without a VMC, though VMC support improves consistency across clients.
Microsoft Outlook does not currently support BIMI, which is a notable gap given Outlook’s significant share of business email. This means BIMI logo display is primarily a consumer inbox benefit for now, though provider support continues to expand as the standard matures. Senders targeting B2C audiences with heavy Gmail or Apple Mail usage will see the most immediate impact from BIMI implementation.
How Email Industries helps with BIMI implementation
Getting every BIMI requirement right – from DMARC enforcement to SVG compliance to VMC acquisition – takes more than checking boxes. We work with senders at every stage of the process to make sure the foundation is solid before the logo ever appears in an inbox. Here is what we bring to a BIMI implementation:
- Authentication audit: We review your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configuration to identify gaps and alignment issues before you tighten your policy
- DMARC policy progression: We help you move safely from
p=nonetop=quarantineorp=rejectwithout disrupting legitimate mail streams - Logo file preparation: We guide you through SVG Tiny P/S compliance so your logo file meets the technical specification
- DNS record setup and validation: We configure and verify your BIMI TXT record and confirm it resolves correctly across providers
- VMC coordination: We advise on the VMC acquisition process, including trademark requirements and certification authority options
Our Deliverability Assurance Packages include the authentication work that underpins a successful BIMI rollout, and our broader services cover every layer of email performance. If you want to get BIMI right the first time, feel free to contact us and we will help you build the setup that gets your logo in the inbox.
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