BIMI: How to Show Your Brand Logo in Email

What BIMI is and what it gives your brand

BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is a standard that shows your brand logo next to your email in the inbox. Setting up BIMI comes down to publishing a TXT record at default._bimi.yourdomain that points to an SVG logo and (for Gmail and Apple) a VMC certificate. The hard prerequisite is a working DMARC policy of quarantine or reject. The logo boosts recognition and trust — and therefore open rates.

Prerequisite #1: enforced DMARC

Without a strict DMARC policy, BIMI will not render in any client. Your record must be at least:

_dmarc.example.com. IN TXT "v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; pct=100; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.com"

How to reach reject safely is covered in our DMARC setup guide. If DMARC is still at p=none, finish that rollout first.

Prerequisite #2: a valid SVG

BIMI accepts only the SVG Tiny Portable/Secure (SVG Tiny PS) profile. Requirements:

• Square logo (1:1 aspect ratio), centered.
• Attributes baseProfile="tiny-ps" and version="1.2".
• A mandatory <title> element with the brand name.
• No scripts, external references, raster images, animation, or layers.
• A solid (non-transparent) background color.

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.2" baseProfile="tiny-ps" viewBox="0 0 100 100">
  <title>Example Inc</title>
  <rect width="100" height="100" fill="#0A2540"/>
  <path fill="#FFFFFF" d="M20 30 h60 v40 h-60 z"/>
</svg>

Prerequisite #3: a VMC or CMC certificate

Gmail, Apple Mail and Yahoo only show the logo with a verified certificate:

VMCs are issued by DigiCert and Entrust for roughly 1,000–1,500 USD per year. The certificate is delivered as a .pem file and published over HTTPS.

The BIMI DNS record

The final record carries a link to the SVG (l=) and the VMC (a=):

default._bimi.example.com. IN TXT "v=BIMI1; l=https://example.com/bimi/logo.svg; a=https://example.com/bimi/vmc.pem"

Both files must be served over HTTPS with a valid certificate and the correct Content-Type (image/svg+xml for the logo).

Provider support

Note: Mail.ru and Yandex historically use their own sender-logo systems, configured in their postmaster panels rather than BIMI.

How to verify and deploy

1. Confirm DMARC is at quarantine/reject.
2. Convert the logo to SVG Tiny PS and host it over HTTPS.
3. Obtain a VMC from DigiCert/Entrust.
4. Publish the default._bimi TXT record.
5. Send a test to a Gmail account and check the rendering.

Why BIMI does not show: common causes

• DMARC at p=none. The most frequent cause — you need quarantine or reject on the root domain.
• SVG not in the Tiny PS profile. A plain export from Figma/Illustrator will not do — run the file through a converter and strip disallowed elements.
• Transparent background. Clients crop the logo to a square; the background must be filled with color.
• No VMC. Gmail and Apple will not show the logo without a certificate, even if the record is valid.
• DNS cache. Changes are not visible immediately after publishing — allow up to 24–48 hours.

What it costs and whether it is worth it

The main cost is the VMC (~1,000–1,500 USD/year) plus trademark registration if you do not already have one. For large brands the investment pays off: A/B tests by Verizon and Google recorded a measurable lift in opens and trust when the logo is shown. For a small business without a registered trademark it is wiser to start with a CMC or wait — but you should set up DMARC, SPF and DKIM regardless, since they are the foundation of both deliverability and any future BIMI.

Selectors and multiple logos

The name default in the record is the default selector. You can add more selectors and use a BIMI-Selector header in the message to pick different logos for sub-brands or campaigns on the same domain:

BIMI-Selector: v=BIMI1; s=promo;

The provider then reads the promo._bimi.example.com record. Most companies need only a single default.

BIMI mini-FAQ

Is a VMC mandatory?

For Gmail and Apple, yes. Fastmail and some clients show the logo without a certificate, but reach will be limited.

Will a plain PNG logo work?

No. BIMI accepts only SVG Tiny PS. A PNG or JPEG has to be redrawn as a vector that follows the profile.

How fast does the logo appear?

After you publish the record and send the first message, the logo usually appears within a few days as the provider's cache refreshes.

You can validate the SVG and the record in the free YourTrend lab. And sending mail with the correct authentication BIMI depends on is easy through YourTrend SMTP and API with automatic DKIM.