BIMI

Definition

BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) lets supporting mailbox providers show your brand logo beside authenticated messages. You publish a BIMI DNS TXT record pointing to an SVG Tiny PS logo (often hosted on HTTPS). Many providers (notably Gmail) also require a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) or related mark certificate from an approved CA. BIMI does not replace SPF/DKIM/DMARC — it builds on DMARC at enforcement (p=quarantine or p=reject).

When to use it

• Brands that already (or nearly) enforce DMARC and want inbox logo recognition
• Consumer-facing transactional and marketing mail where trust marks matter
• Programs finishing bulk-sender authentication work and looking for a visible payoff

When not to use it

• Domains still at p=none with unresolved spoofing or third-party senders
• Expecting BIMI to fix spam-folder placement — it does not
• Budgeting only for the logo file while ignoring VMC (~annual CA fees) and DMARC cleanup eng time

Tips

• Validate SVG Tiny PS constraints before buying a VMC
• Host the logo on a stable HTTPS endpoint (CloudFront + S3 is a common SES-adjacent pattern)
• Track provider support matrix — not every client shows BIMI logos yet

Gotchas

Serious

• Buying a VMC before DMARC enforcement is achievable — certificate idle time with no logo display
• Broken HTTPS/CORS/content-type on the SVG URL → silent BIMI failure

Regular

• Assuming Outlook will match Gmail’s BIMI behavior

Related FactualMinds content

• BIMI on Amazon SES — implementation guide
• DMARC · DKIM · Amazon SES
• BIMI readiness checker