Does a parent domain need BIMI for subdomain BIMI to work?
Summary
What email marketers say7Marketer opinions
Marketer from Email Geeks mentions that it is analogous to DKIM. The only non-default selector seen so far is `smile._<http://bimi.amazon.com|bimi.amazon.com>`.
Email marketer from Stack Overflow answers that it is possible to have BIMI on a subdomain, even if the parent domain does not have it, as long as the subdomain meets the DMARC requirements.
Marketer from Email Geeks points out that most systems currently only recognize the default BIMI selector, `default._bimi.domain.com`.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares the BIMI spec currently defines the BIMI-Selector header as one that the sender can insert on outbound mail.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that BIMI inheritance works similarly to DMARC. A subdomain can inherit from the organizational domain, but a sub-subdomain cannot inherit from a subdomain.
Email marketer from Only Domains shares that BIMI allows the display of logos alongside emails in supporting inboxes. The article indicates that implementing BIMI involves creating a DNS record and ensuring DMARC compliance but doesn't explicitly say the parent domain needs BIMI for subdomains to work.
Email marketer from Red Sift shares that BIMI builds upon DMARC. It does not specifically state that a parent domain *needs* BIMI for a subdomain to implement it, but emphasizes the necessity of a robust DMARC policy. This suggests a subdomain could potentially implement BIMI independently if its DMARC is correctly configured.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks confirms that BIMI can be set up only on the subdomain if desired.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that BIMI involves setting up a DNS record with a pointer to your logo file. As long as the subdomain meets the DMARC and other BIMI requirements, the parent domain does not explicitly need to have a BIMI record.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that if BIMI is configured on the organizational domain, it will be inherited by any qualifying subdomain. VMCs can also be set in a similar way.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that subdomains can have their own BIMI records, independent of the parent domain, as long as the subdomain meets the DMARC requirements. The parent domain does not need a BIMI record for the subdomain to function correctly with BIMI.
What the documentation says3Technical articles
Documentation from BIMI Group explains that BIMI is configured at the domain level. If you implement BIMI on your main domain, it can be inherited by subdomains if the subdomain's DMARC policy meets the BIMI requirements. The subdomain itself doesn't need a separate BIMI record if inheriting from the parent.
Documentation from IETF mentions how the the BIMI-Selector header as one that the sender can insert on outbound mail.
Documentation from DigiCert explains that for a domain to leverage BIMI, it must have a DMARC policy set to either 'quarantine' or 'reject'. While not directly answering about parent domains, it implies a subdomain could function if *it* meets the DMARC requirement, suggesting the parent's BIMI is not a direct dependency.