Where does the BIMI logo appear in email clients?

Summary

BIMI logos primarily appear in the inbox area of supporting email clients, such as Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL, and Fastmail. They are typically displayed next to the sender's name or 'From' address, both on iOS and Android apps, as well as when accessing email via a web browser. However, Apple Mail does not support BIMI. For a logo to display, the sending domain must be properly authenticated using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. In some cases, a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) may also be required. The purpose of BIMI is to enhance brand recognition, increase trust, and help recipients identify legitimate emails.

Key findings

  • Client Support: Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL, and Fastmail are the major email clients that support BIMI.
  • Display Location: BIMI logos typically appear next to the sender's name or 'From' address in the inbox.
  • Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication are required for BIMI logos to display.
  • Apple Mail Exclusion: Apple Mail does not support BIMI.
  • VMC Requirement: A Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) may be needed, depending on the email provider.
  • App vs. Web View: BIMI logos are displayed in the list view in apps, and in the message view on the web.

Key considerations

  • Authentication Setup: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly implemented for the sending domain.
  • VMC acquisition: Determine whether a VMC is necessary for the specific email providers being used.
  • Client Compatibility: Verify if the recipient's email client supports BIMI for logo visibility.
  • Brand Recognition: BIMI enhances brand recognition and makes it easier for recipients to trust the email source.
  • Phishing Prevention: BIMI helps prevent phishing attacks by visually verifying the sender's identity.

What email marketers say
12Marketer opinions

BIMI logos appear in various email clients, predominantly in the inbox next to the sender's name. Supported clients include Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Fastmail on both iOS and Android apps, as well as web browser access. However, the Apple mail app does not currently support BIMI. The primary function of BIMI is to enhance brand recognition and trust by visually verifying the sender's identity, reducing the risk of phishing and improving email engagement.

Key opinions

  • Gmail & Yahoo Support: Gmail and Yahoo Mail are the most commonly cited email clients that support BIMI logos.
  • Placement: BIMI logos typically appear in the inbox next to the sender's name.
  • OS Support: BIMI is generally supported on both iOS and Android apps for supporting email clients.
  • Apple Mail Incompatibility: The Apple mail app does not natively support BIMI.
  • Web Browser Support: BIMI logos are also visible when accessing email through a web browser on supported email clients.

Key considerations

  • Email Client Support: BIMI logo visibility is contingent on the email client's support for the BIMI standard.
  • Authentication: For BIMI logos to display, the sender's domain must pass authentication checks, including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
  • Brand Recognition: BIMI primarily enhances brand recognition and helps recipients identify legitimate emails.
  • Trust and Engagement: The presence of a BIMI logo increases trust in the email sender, potentially improving open rates and engagement.
  • Phishing Prevention: BIMI helps prevent phishing attacks by visually verifying the sender's identity.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Val Geisler's Blog explains that BIMI logos typically appear in email clients that support it, such as Yahoo Mail, Gmail (in some cases), and Fastmail, and are displayed next to the sender's name in the inbox and sometimes within the email itself.

May 2022 - Val Geisler's Blog
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailosaur shares that BIMI enables companies to display their trademarked logo beside their sending domain within the recipient's inbox in email clients like Gmail and Yahoo. This helps increase brand recognition and can improve open rates.

February 2022 - Mailosaur
Marketer view

Email marketer from Red Sift explains that BIMI gives senders the ability to display their brand logo alongside their messages in the inbox, which provides greater brand visibility and gives email recipients more confidence in the legitimacy of the messages they receive. Supported email clients include Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and others that support the BIMI standard.

December 2022 - Red Sift
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailToolTester details that BIMI lets brands display their logos in the inbox next to their messages, which is a visual cue that the email is legitimate. When users see a familiar logo next to an email from a brand, they can be more confident that the message is not a phishing attempt. BIMI images appear in the inbox, next to the sender's name, in email clients like Gmail, AOL and Yahoo Mail.

October 2021 - EmailToolTester
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus mentions that BIMI is useful for consumers by helping people easily identify authentic emails from legitimate brands, preventing them from engaging with fraudulent messages. BIMI images typically appear in the email inbox (usually next to the sender's name in the inbox) and within the message itself.

January 2024 - Litmus
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks mentions the Gmail app on Android also displays BIMI logos.

November 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks confirms that Yahoo shows BIMI in the message list on the Android mail app as well.

August 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from ZeroBounce answers that BIMI is supported by several major email providers, including Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Fastmail and that the logo appears next to the sender's name in the inbox, provided the email has passed authentication checks.

September 2023 - ZeroBounce
Marketer view

Email marketer from SparkPost details that BIMI allows brands to display their logo next to authenticated emails in supporting email clients (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo Mail). This helps improve brand recognition and email security by visually verifying the sender's identity.

March 2023 - SparkPost
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks clarifies that the BIMI logo does not show up in the Apple mail app, but it does on the Yahoo or Google mail apps and when accessing mail through a web browser.

July 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks mentions that Gmail shows the BIMI logo in the app on iOS.

May 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that once implemented, BIMI logos are typically displayed in email clients like Gmail and Yahoo Mail, next to the sender's name in the inbox, making it easier for recipients to identify and trust the source of the email.

November 2024 - Mailjet

What the experts say
4Expert opinions

BIMI logos are displayed in Yahoo apps on iOS and in list views within apps and message views on the web for supporting email clients like Gmail and Yahoo. Apple mail app does not support BIMI. The logo is generally shown in the inbox area, next to the sender's name.

Key opinions

  • Yahoo iOS Support: BIMI logos appear in the Yahoo app on iOS.
  • App vs. Web View: In apps, the BIMI logo is displayed in the list view, while on the web, it's in the message view.
  • Apple Incompatibility: Apple Mail app does not support BIMI.
  • Inbox Placement: BIMI logos generally appear in the inbox area, next to the sender's name, in supported clients like Gmail and Yahoo.

Key considerations

  • Client Support: Visibility of BIMI logos depends on the specific email client's support for BIMI.
  • View Context: The location of the BIMI logo can differ depending on whether the email is viewed in an app or on the web.
  • OS Compatibility: Not all operating systems or email clients support BIMI equally (e.g., Apple Mail).
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks points out that Apple doesn't support BIMI.

November 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that BIMI logos appear in the inbox area of email clients like Gmail and Yahoo, next to the sender's name.

May 2022 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks confirms that the BIMI logo shows in the Yahoo app on iOS.

September 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks states that BIMI logo is displayed in the list view in apps and in the message view on the web.

January 2025 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

BIMI logos are displayed in email clients such as Gmail, AOL, and Yahoo Mail, typically next to the sender's name or 'From' address in the inbox. Displaying the logo requires the sender's domain to be authenticated using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and in some cases, a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is necessary. The purpose is to help users identify legitimate emails and increase brand recognition and trust.

Key findings

  • Supported Clients: Gmail, AOL, and Yahoo Mail are identified as supporting email clients for BIMI logos.
  • Location: The BIMI logo is generally displayed next to the sender's name or 'From' address in the inbox.
  • Authentication Requirements: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication are prerequisites for displaying a BIMI logo.
  • VMC Requirement: Some email providers or configurations require a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) for BIMI logos to appear.
  • Legitimacy Identification: BIMI helps users identify legitimate emails, increasing trust in the sender.

Key considerations

  • Authentication Setup: Ensure proper implementation of SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for the sending domain.
  • VMC Acquisition: Determine if a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is required by the email providers or configurations.
  • Client Compatibility: Check if the recipient's email client supports BIMI for the logo to be visible.
  • Brand Recognition: BIMI enhances brand recognition, making it easier for recipients to trust the source of the email.
  • Improved Trust: Implementing BIMI can improve trust with recipients due to the visual verification of the sender's identity.
Technical article

Documentation from VMWare explains that for the BIMI logo to appear, the sender's domain must be authenticated using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and the logo is typically displayed in email clients like Gmail and Yahoo Mail, next to the sender's name or email address, helping users identify legitimate emails.

June 2021 - VMWare
Technical article

Documentation from dmarcian answers that to get BIMI logos to display, a sender must first implement DMARC email authentication at a 'p=quarantine' or 'p=reject' policy level, then obtain a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC). Once these steps are completed, supported email clients (like Gmail and Yahoo Mail) will display the brand's logo next to the sender's name in the inbox.

July 2023 - dmarcian
Technical article

Documentation from Entrust shares that BIMI helps display a brand's logo in supporting email clients (like Gmail and Yahoo Mail) next to the sender's 'From' address, increasing brand recognition and trust among recipients.

February 2023 - Entrust
Technical article

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help outlines that to display a BIMI logo in Gmail, the sender's domain must pass DMARC authentication. Once DMARC is correctly implemented and the BIMI record is set up, Gmail will display the logo next to the sender's name in the inbox.

September 2024 - Google Workspace Admin Help
Technical article

Documentation from BIMI Group answers that BIMI logos are displayed in email clients such as Gmail, AOL and Yahoo Mail. They show up next to the sender's name and allows people to easily recognise the brand.

March 2023 - BIMI Group