BIMI Implementation
Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) displays your company logo next to authenticated emails in Gmail and Outlook. Studies show BIMI increases open rates by 10-20% and builds brand trust.
What is BIMI?
BIMI lets you display your brand logo next to authenticated emails in supported email clients. When implemented correctly, Gmail and Outlook show your logo in the inbox, increasing brand visibility and trust.
How It Looks to Recipients:
Gmail: Your logo appears as a circular avatar next to the sender name in the inbox list
Outlook/Yahoo: Logo displays next to sender in inbox and when email is opened
Apple Mail: No BIMI support yet (as of Jan 2025)
BIMI Requirements
1. DMARC Policy (p=quarantine or p=reject)
You MUST have DMARC enforcement enabled. p=none is not sufficient for BIMI.
✅ v=DMARC1; p=reject; (works)
✅ v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; (works)
❌ v=DMARC1; p=none; (does NOT work)
2. VMC (Verified Mark Certificate)
VMC is a digital certificate proving you own your logo trademark. Required by Gmail (not required by Yahoo/Outlook but recommended).
Cost: $1,000 - $1,500/year
Providers: DigiCert, Entrust
Requirement: Registered trademark for your logo
3. SVG Logo File (Tiny PS format)
Your logo must be in SVG Tiny Portable/Secure format with specific requirements:
- Format: SVG Tiny PS (Portable/Secure) version 1.2
- Size: Square aspect ratio (1:1 recommended)
- File size: Under 32 KB
- Colors: Solid colors only (no gradients, transparency, or animations)
- External references: None allowed (all embedded)
- Scripts: No JavaScript
4. BIMI DNS Record
Publish a TXT record at default._bimi.yourdomain.com:
default._bimi.yourdomain.com TXT
"v=BIMI1; l=https://yourdomain.com/logo.svg;
a=https://yourdomain.com/vmc.pem"
Where: l= is logo URL, a= is VMC certificate URL
Step-by-Step Implementation
Ensure DMARC p=quarantine or p=reject
BIMI will not work without enforced DMARC policy. Complete your DMARC rollout to p=quarantine or p=reject before starting BIMI.
Register Logo Trademark (if needed)
File trademark application with USPTO (US) or equivalent:
- Cost: $250-$400 filing fee + attorney fees ($500-$2,000)
- Timeline: 6-12 months for approval
- Class: Typically Class 35 (business services)
Create SVG Tiny PS Logo
Convert your logo to SVG Tiny PS format:
Option 1: Use online BIMI SVG converters (bimigroup.org/svg-converter)
Option 2: Hire designer familiar with BIMI specs
Validation: Use BIMI Inspector to verify SVG meets requirements
Purchase VMC Certificate
Buy from authorized VMC providers:
- DigiCert: $1,499/year (most popular)
- Entrust: $1,200/year
Required documents: Trademark certificate, business registration, logo files
Host SVG and VMC Files
Upload files to publicly accessible HTTPS URLs:
https://yourdomain.com/bimi/logo.svg
https://yourdomain.com/bimi/vmc.pem
Requirements: Valid SSL certificate, public access (no auth), correct MIME types (image/svg+xml, application/x-pem-file)
Publish BIMI DNS Record
Add TXT record to DNS:
Name: default._bimi.yourdomain.com
Type: TXT
Value: "v=BIMI1;
l=https://yourdomain.com/bimi/logo.svg;
a=https://yourdomain.com/bimi/vmc.pem"
Wait for Propagation (7-14 days)
Gmail and other providers need time to crawl your BIMI record, fetch VMC, validate logo. Allow 7-14 days before logo starts appearing in inboxes.
Test & Verify
Send test emails to Gmail and check if logo appears:
- Use BIMI Inspector (bimigroup.org/inspector)
- Send from authenticated domain to Gmail address
- Check inbox list view for logo avatar
- Monitor over 2-3 weeks as Gmail validates
Total Cost Analysis
One-Time Costs
- • Trademark filing: $250-$2,500 (if not registered yet)
- • SVG logo creation: $0-$500 (depends on designer)
- • Initial setup: $0 (DIY) or $500-$1,000 (consultant)
Total one-time: $250-$4,000
Annual Recurring
- • VMC certificate renewal: $1,200-$1,500/year
- • Trademark maintenance: $0 (first 5 years)
Total annual: $1,200-$1,500/year
Common Implementation Issues
Logo not appearing after 2 weeks
Check: DMARC policy is p=quarantine/reject, VMC is valid, SVG meets Tiny PS specs, DNS record is correct, files are publicly accessible over HTTPS
SVG file rejected
Common causes: Gradients, transparency, animations, external fonts, JavaScript. Use BIMI Inspector to validate SVG compliance.
VMC validation fails
Verify: Trademark registered, VMC matches logo in SVG, VMC not expired, certificate chain is complete
BIMI Implementation Service
TrustYourInbox helps you implement BIMI including trademark guidance, SVG creation, VMC purchase assistance, and validation.