How do I get my logo to show next to my emails?

Your inbox may show a brand logo beside a sender when the message and domain meet the provider's conditions. A mailbox avatar is the informal name people use for that inbox logo. Bird has no separate avatar setting. You can configure the mailbox display name and default Reply-To in the mailboxes guide, but those fields do not replace a provider-rendered logo.

For the protocol's record format and certificate types, see what is BIMI, and do I need a VMC?.

Where will recipients see the logo?

Gmail shows the logo beside messages, Yahoo shows it in message lists and read views, and Apple Mail shows it in supported Mail clients. Each provider chooses which senders qualify. A VMC proves control of an eligible registered mark. A CMC covers other eligible mark categories.

Yahoo says it does not require a VMC for BIMI logos. It can use one when your record includes it. Apple says its clients do not show logos when either the sender or the email service misses the required conditions.

What must be true before you publish BIMI?

Start with authentication that aligns with the domain in the visible From address. Gmail's setup guide says DMARC must use p=quarantine or p=reject. It says pct=100 applies that policy to all outgoing mail. Its wording is direct:

Policy option (p) must be set to quarantine or reject. BIMI doesn’t support DMARC policies that have the p option set to none.

Yahoo's BIMI page lists the same enforcement choices:

A DMARC policy of quarantine or reject is in place

Apple's BIMI support page describes DMARC as part of its strong authentication standard rather than naming a policy value:

This includes using the DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) security standard, which is a tool designed to stop domain impersonation.

The organizational domain is the registrable domain, such as example.com for news.example.com. For Gmail and Yahoo, check it as well as any sending subdomain. A p=none policy only monitors failures, so it does not qualify for their BIMI display conditions. Confirm every legitimate sender before changing enforcement, because receivers can quarantine or reject mail that fails alignment.

What DNS record and logo do you need?

Publish one TXT record under the default._bimi selector. For example.com, the host is default._bimi.example.com:

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

The v= tag identifies BIMI. The l= tag points to a publicly reachable SVG logo over HTTPS. The optional a= tag points to certificate evidence. Omit a= when the providers you target do not require a certificate.

Use the SVG Tiny Portable/Secure profile. It excludes scripts, external references and animation. Keep the artwork square, centered and readable in a circle or rounded square. Serve it from a stable HTTPS URL. Make sure the SVG's <title> names your brand.

When do you need a VMC or CMC?

Gmail requires certificate evidence for a logo. A CA is the certificate authority that issues the VMC or CMC. Its setup guide says:

To use your logo with BIMI, you must get a VMC (recommended) or a CMC issued by a CA.

A VMC covers an eligible registered trademark or government mark. A CMC covers other eligible mark categories, such as a prior-use mark. The certificate issuer decides whether your logo qualifies.

Yahoo does not require a VMC for its BIMI logos. It can use a VMC in the record when one is present. Apple says BIMI works with VMCs and other BIMI Evidence Documents, but its support page does not set a certificate requirement for every sender.

How can you verify the logo?

First resolve the DNS record and fetch the SVG URL from outside your network. Check that the record has the expected selector, HTTPS URLs and certificate URL when your target provider requires one.

Then send a real message through the authenticated domain to test mailboxes at Gmail, Yahoo and Apple Mail. Look in the message list and the opened message where each provider says it renders logos. A missing logo can reflect provider reputation or eligibility even when the record resolves.

The BIMI record generator checks the record format. The BIMI guide covers the SVG and certificate URLs. A valid record does not prove that every provider will display the logo.

How do you set this up with Bird?

You publish the DNS record and logo at your DNS provider, then send through a verified Bird sending domain. Bird supplies the authenticated sending path. You control the BIMI record, SVG and any certificate.

Follow the BIMI guide for the record and logo procedure. Use what is DMARC alignment to check that the authenticated domain matches the visible From domain before you move DMARC to enforcement.