How do I implement BIMI for email verification in Gmail and Yahoo?
Summary
What email marketers say15Marketer opinions
Email marketer from EasyDMARC.com explains that the logo used in BIMI must be in SVG format (Scalable Vector Graphics), must be a registered trademark, and hosted on a secure (HTTPS) server.
Email marketer from Proofpoint.com answers that configuring BIMI involves setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, then obtaining a VMC and creating a BIMI record that points to the location of the VMC and logo.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains that if it’s a BIMI logo, you get the checkmark. But note that this is only fully rolled out on mobile. Desktop is not 100% yet. Also note that there are a few brands which are manually downgraded and removed the logo (and check mark) as they are not able to control their outbound abuse.
Email marketer from Valimail.com shares that BIMI provides increased brand visibility in the inbox, improves email deliverability by strengthening authentication, and enhances brand trust by ensuring only legitimate emails display the brand's logo.
Email marketer from AuthSMTP.com responds that the BIMI DNS TXT record needs to be published against your domain name to tell the email receiver where to find your BIMI logo. AuthSMTP state that you may also be required to get a VMC, although this depends on the receiver. If a VMC is required this also needs to be included in the DNS record.
Email marketer from EmailOctopus.com responds that BIMI implementation has 3 steps. 1. Authenticate emails using SPF, DKIM and DMARC 2. Obtain a VMC certificate 3. Publish a BIMI record to your domain.
Marketer from Email Geeks says they are fairly confident it's an AND. Gmail does not display BIMI without VMC and BIMI does not validate without DMARC.
Email marketer from EmailToolTester.com states that the cost includes the VMC (Verified Mark Certificate) and the cost of implementing and managing the necessary email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC).
Marketer from Email Geeks mentions not noticing the verification mark on their Yahoo account, but notes that the display of the company and website is already a cool bonus for marketers.
Email marketer from ZeroBounce.net shares that Yahoo Mail supports BIMI, which means that once BIMI is properly implemented, your brand logo will appear next to your emails in the Yahoo Mail inbox.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that after seeing a post, they checked their mailbox and found BIMI to be a cool boost for marketers to adopt.
Marketer from Email Geeks asks if Google's verification methods use an AND or an OR operator.
Email marketer from RedSift.com explains that implementing BIMI is simple and the technical requirements are fairly minimal. You need to authenticate your emails and then publish a BIMI record in DNS. You may also need to provide a VMC depending on the mailbox provider.
Email marketer from Reddit explains you need to have your email authentication set up (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), get a VMC for your logo and then create a BIMI record in your DNS settings. Make sure your logo meets the BIMI requirements (SVG format)
Marketer from Email Geeks clarifies that if your domain is BIMI compliant and you have a VMC, the checkmark will show up for everyone using Google accounts.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource answers BIMI allows you to display a logo in supporting email clients, if the recipient’s email provider supports BIMI and you’ve properly configured everything. They also point out that Yahoo and Gmail support BIMI.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that BIMI aims to fight phishing, increase trust with consumers and help businesses stand out in crowded inboxes. All senders must authenticate email with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and then to prove ownership of a logo, a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) must be obtained from an authorized provider.
Expert from Word to the Wise responds that BIMI has several basic requirements. You must have authentication in place using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Email must be sent from a domain that matches the domain in the DMARC record. A Verified Mark Certificate for your logo should be obtained. And then a BIMI DNS record must be published.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that to use BIMI, you must have SPF, DKIM and DMARC setup and working, and then you need to acquire a VMC (Verified Mark Certificate). This can be costly.
Expert from Email Geeks shares "Hashtag BIMI :party_blob:"
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Fastly.com specifies that BIMI records should be stored as DNS TXT records. The format for the TXT record should include the BIMI version, the location of the SVG logo file and the location of the VMC, if the email receiver requires one.
Documentation from Google Workspace Updates Blog explains that to display a brand logo in Gmail, senders must authenticate their emails with SPF or DKIM, publish a DMARC policy of 'quarantine' or 'reject', and have a Brand Indicator for Message Identification (BIMI) record registered with a Certification Authority.
Documentation from DigiCert.com outlines the steps: ensure strong authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), obtain a VMC for the logo, create a BIMI DNS record, and publish the BIMI record in the DNS.
Documentation from Entrust.com explains that to implement BIMI, an organization needs a registered trademark logo and a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) to prove ownership of the logo. They also state that robust email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) must be correctly configured.
Documentation from dmarcian.com specifies that the BIMI record is a TXT record in DNS. The record's value must start with 'v=BIMI1;' followed by the location of the SVG logo and the location of the VMC (if required by the mailbox provider).