A correctly formatted logo record does not guarantee a logo in the inbox. Each mailbox provider applies its own authentication, certificate and display requirements. For the practical setup, see how do I get my logo to show next to my emails.
What does a BIMI record contain?
A BIMI record contains a logo URL and can also point to certificate evidence about that logo.
You publish a TXT record under a selector, the name identifying a particular BIMI record. The default location for example.com is default._bimi.example.com.
The v= tag identifies the record format. The l= tag supplies the logo URL. The optional a= tag supplies the evidence URL, such as a certificate.
The logo uses SVG. The Tiny Portable/Secure profile excludes scripts and animations.
The BIMI protocol document is an Internet-Draft, a proposed specification that can change. Provider requirements determine whether your record qualifies for display.
What authentication does BIMI require?
BIMI requires passing DMARC checks under an enforcement policy.
DMARC checks that a passing authentication result matches the visible From domain. The organizational domain is the administrative boundary containing related names, such as example.com for news.example.com.
The BIMI Group's implementation guide requires quarantine or reject policies on the organizational domain and its subdomains. Quarantine marks failures as suspicious. Reject identifies failures as unauthorized domain use.
Monitoring with p=none does not qualify. Neither does weakening subdomains with sp=none. Enforcement on a sending subdomain alone is insufficient when its organizational domain remains in monitoring.
The guide excludes percentage settings below 100 percent. For example, pct=50 does not meet that requirement, because it requests partial enforcement. RFC 9989 excludes pct from DMARC's policy format altogether.
Check all legitimate senders before tightening the policy, because enforcement can disrupt a service with broken authentication. The DMARC policy guide covers that work.
Do you need a certificate?
To qualify for Gmail's logo display, you need a VMC or CMC. Other receiving providers set their own certificate policies.
A Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is evidence connecting an organization to an eligible logo. A Common Mark Certificate (CMC) provides evidence for other eligible mark categories.
Certificate evidence is optional under the BIMI implementation guide. Without it, a record has limited provider support. Such a record is self-asserted: the domain owner supplies the logo without certificate evidence.
Gmail's setup requirements require a VMC or CMC. A logo-only record therefore does not satisfy Gmail's certificate requirement.
How do VMCs and CMCs differ?
VMCs cover registered trademarks or government marks. CMCs cover prior-use marks or modifications of registered trademarks.
A government mark is a qualifying mark belonging to a public authority. A prior-use mark qualifies through evidence of earlier use. The BIMI certificate definitions describe these categories.
A logo without a registered trademark is not automatically ineligible for every certificate. Check its category with the certificate issuer before treating trademark registration as a prerequisite.
How do you prepare the record with Bird?
You assemble the logo and certificate URLs before publishing the BIMI record at your DNS provider.
The BIMI record generator builds and parses that record in the browser. It does not establish whether a receiving provider will display the logo. The BIMI guide explains the record and logo format.
Does BIMI improve delivery?
BIMI does not guarantee message acceptance or inbox placement. It identifies a logo for display.
A receiver still evaluates authentication and sender reputation, its assessment of the sender's traffic. Completing the logo record cannot compensate for unresolved authentication failures.
What should you prepare first?
Complete authentication before preparing the logo and any required certificate.
- Complete authentication before preparing BIMI if your domain does not meet the enforcement requirements.
- Prepare the logo once authentication qualifies.
- Obtain a VMC or CMC if your recipients' mailbox providers require certificate evidence.
In short
The DNS record points to the logo.
A BIMI text record contains a logo URL and can also point to certificate evidence.
DMARC enforcement is a prerequisite.
The organizational domain and subdomains must meet the BIMI enforcement requirements. Monitoring alone is insufficient.
Certificate requirements depend on the receiver.
Certificate evidence is optional in the protocol. Some providers require a Verified Mark Certificate or Common Mark Certificate.
Display remains the provider's decision.
A valid record and certificate do not guarantee that a mailbox provider displays a logo.