BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is an email standard that shows your brand's logo next to your emails in inboxes that support it, including Gmail. To get it, you need DMARC set to quarantine or reject, a logo file in a special format and a certificate from a third party certificate authority that verifies the logo is yours.
That last part is why most small businesses don't have it yet. BIMI isn't just a DNS record you add on a Friday afternoon. It sits at the end of the email authentication queue, after SPF, DKIM and DMARC are all working.
What you need for BIMI
| Requirement | Detail from Google |
|---|---|
| Authentication | SPF or DKIM, then DMARC |
| DMARC policy | p=quarantine or p=reject, with pct=100 (p=none isn't supported) |
| Certificate | A Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) for a trademarked logo, or a Common Mark Certificate (CMC) |
| Logo file | SVG Tiny PS, at least 96 x 96 pixels, 32 KB or smaller recommended |
| Hosting | A public HTTPS server holding the PEM file |
| DNS | A BIMI TXT record, which can take up to 48 hours to show |
Why p=none and an unregistered logo stop you
Two catches stop most businesses. First, Google says BIMI needs your DMARC policy set to quarantine or reject, with pct set to 100. Plenty of businesses start DMARC at p=none, which is sensible while you read your reports, but a p=none record won't qualify for BIMI.
Second, the certificate. Google recommends a VMC, and with a VMC Gmail shows a checkmark next to your name as a verified sender. To get a VMC, though, your logo has to be trademarked with an intellectual property office that VMC issuers recognise, and Google says the trademark process can take 6 to 12 months. If your logo isn't trademarked, a CMC is the other route, and you'd check the certificate issuer's requirements for that.
How to set up BIMI, step by step
- Get SPF and DKIM passing for your domain.
- Move your DMARC policy from p=none to quarantine or reject, with pct=100.
- Make your logo into an SVG that meets the BIMI spec.
- Get a VMC (for a trademarked logo) or a CMC from a certificate authority.
- Upload the PEM file, with the intermediate and root certificates added in the order they were issued, to a public HTTPS server and copy its URL.
- Add the BIMI TXT record at your DNS provider and allow up to 48 hours for the logo to appear.
The logo file rules
Google's logo requirements are stricter than most people expect. The SVG has to be at least 96 x 96 pixels, with the size in absolute pixels rather than percentages. Google recommends centring the logo in a square, using a solid background colour because a transparent one might not display, keeping the file to 32 KB or smaller and including a desc element. The BIMI standard itself calls for SVG Tiny PS (with baseProfile set to tiny-ps), version 1.2, with no scripts, animations or external links.
Here's the bit that surprises people: Google says there are currently no apps that create an SVG meeting every BIMI requirement, so files usually need editing by hand. And Gmail only supports BIMI through PEM files with the certificate built in. A standalone SVG record won't work in Gmail.
If your logo still isn't showing
Google's troubleshooting order is to check your BIMI record first, then check whether the recipient's email client supports BIMI, then check your DKIM and DMARC alignment. Google also notes that non Gmail web apps don't support the verified checkmark feature, so what you see can depend on where you're looking.
Who's involved, and where the time goes
BIMI isn't a one-person job, which is a big part of why it stalls. Several different parties play a part, and knowing who does what before you start saves a lot of back and forth. If a freelancer looks after your website, they can usually cover the hosting and DNS jobs, but the trademark and the certificate are about proving the logo belongs to your business, so expect those to land on your desk.
| Job | Who handles it |
|---|---|
| Getting SPF, DKIM and DMARC passing, then moving DMARC to quarantine or reject | Whoever manages your email and DNS settings |
| Trademarking your logo (VMC route only) | An intellectual property office that VMC issuers recognise |
| Issuing the VMC or CMC | A third party certificate authority, which verifies the logo |
| Hosting the PEM file | Your web host, on a public server using HTTPS (Google recommends TLS 1.2 or later) |
| Editing the SVG to spec | Whoever looks after your logo files, by hand, as no app does it fully |
| Adding the BIMI TXT record | You, or whoever manages your DNS |
The time goes in one place. The DNS work is quick. The trademark is the slow part, at 6 to 12 months by Google's estimate. So if you want a VMC and your logo isn't registered yet, start the trademark application first, and move DMARC from p=none to enforcement while you wait. Those two jobs don't depend on each other, so there's no reason to do them one after the other and lose months.
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My verdict
For most small businesses, BIMI is a nice to have, not a first job. The certificate carries a fee and a VMC needs a registered trademark, which can take months. Get SPF, DKIM and DMARC working first, move DMARC to enforcement when your reports look clean, and then decide whether a logo in the inbox is worth it for your brand. If you haven't set up DMARC yet, start with my guide to what DMARC is and how to add it.
Frequently asked questions
What does BIMI stand for?
Brand Indicators for Message Identification. It adds your verified logo to the emails you send, in email clients that support it.
Does BIMI work with DMARC p=none?
No. Google says your DMARC policy must be quarantine or reject, with pct set to 100.
Do I need a trademark for BIMI?
For a Verified Mark Certificate, yes: Google says the logo must be trademarked with a recognised intellectual property office. Without a trademark, a Common Mark Certificate is the alternative.
How long does it take for a BIMI logo to show?
Google says it can take up to 48 hours after you add the BIMI TXT record.
Why is there a checkmark next to some senders in Gmail?
Google says Gmail shows a checkmark next to senders verified with a Verified Mark Certificate.
