---
title: "BIMI: Brand Indicators for Message Identification | SendHQ"
description: Learn about Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI), the standard for displaying brand logos in email clients via DMARC and SVG files.
canonical: https://sendhq.cc/terms/bimi
last-updated: 2026-08-26
---
# BIMI: Brand Indicators for Message Identification

BIMI is an email standard that allows organizations to display their brand logo next to their messages in supported email clients. It relies on a strict DMARC policy of quarantine or reject to ensure the sender is authenticated, preventing unauthorized parties from spoofing the brand logo.

## Mechanical Operation

BIMI works by adding a specific TXT record to the DNS of a sending domain. This record contains a pointer to a publicly accessible SVG Tiny Portable Safe image file. When a receiving mail server sees the BIMI record, it first verifies that the email passed SPF and DKIM and that the domain has a DMARC policy set to p=quarantine or p=reject. If these conditions are met, the client fetches the SVG logo and displays it in the inbox.

## Importance for Senders

BIMI increases brand visibility and trust by providing a visual cue of authenticity. Because it requires a high level of DMARC enforcement, it signals to the recipient that the email is legitimate. This can lead to higher open rates and a reduction in phishing attempts using the brand name, as only authenticated senders can trigger the logo display.

## Operational Requirements

To implement BIMI, a sender must have a valid DMARC record with a policy of quarantine or reject. Many mailbox providers also require a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC), which is a digital certificate proving the organization owns the logo. Without a VMC, some providers may not display the logo even if the DNS records are correct. You can use SendHQ or its free tools (https://sendhq.cc/tools) to verify your DMARC status before attempting BIMI setup.

## Common Implementation Mistakes

A frequent error is using a standard SVG file instead of the SVG Tiny Portable Safe profile, which causes the image to be rejected for security reasons. Another common mistake is setting a DMARC policy of p=none, which is insufficient for BIMI requirements. Senders also often forget to host the SVG file on a public HTTPS server that allows the mail client to fetch the asset without authentication.

## Concrete Example

A company with the domain example.com creates a BIMI TXT record: default.\_bimi.example.com IN TXT "v=1; l=https://example.com/logo.svg". They ensure their DMARC record is v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc@example.com. When they send an email, the recipient's mail client checks the DMARC policy, confirms the p=reject status, reads the BIMI record, and renders the logo.svg file in the user's inbox.

## Questions teams ask

**Does BIMI require DMARC?**

Yes, BIMI requires a DMARC policy of either quarantine or reject. A policy of p=none is not sufficient for BIMI logo display.

**What image format is required for BIMI?**

BIMI requires the SVG Tiny Portable Safe (SVG P.S.) format to ensure the image does not contain malicious scripts.

**Is a VMC mandatory for all BIMI users?**

While the BIMI specification allows for it, most major mailbox providers require a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) to display the logo.

**Does BIMI improve email deliverability?**

BIMI does not directly change the delivery path, but it improves trust and open rates by visually verifying the sender's identity.

## Primary sources

- [BIMI Group: Brand Indicators for Message Identification](https://bimigroup.org/) — BIMI Group
- [RFC 7489: Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7489) — RFC Editor

## Continue learning

[email dkim spf dmarc](https://sendhq.cc/guides/email-dkim-spf-dmarc.md) [dmarc check](https://sendhq.cc/guides/dmarc-check.md) [email deliverability](https://sendhq.cc/guides/email-deliverability.md) [email domain verification](https://sendhq.cc/guides/email-domain-verification.md)