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BIMI Record Setup Guide (2026)
By Rahul LakhaneyPublished on: Mar 31, 2026 · 15 min read · Last reviewed: Mar 2026
TL;DR
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) displays your logo next to emails in recipients' inboxes. It requires DMARC enforcement, a properly formatted SVG logo, and optionally a VMC certificate. Here is how to set it up.
What Is BIMI and Why It Matters for Cold Email
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is a DNS-based email standard that allows senders to display their brand logo next to emails in supported inboxes. When a recipient sees your email in Gmail, Apple Mail, or Yahoo, your company logo appears instead of a generic avatar.
For cold email, BIMI provides two benefits:
- 1Visual trust signal. A branded logo increases perceived legitimacy. Recipients are less likely to ignore or report an email that shows a professional logo.
- 2Indirect deliverability benefit. BIMI requires DMARC enforcement (p=quarantine or p=reject), which itself improves deliverability. The BIMI setup process forces you to complete your authentication stack.
| Provider | BIMI Support | VMC Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | Yes (since 2021) | Yes, required | Only shows logo with valid VMC |
| Apple Mail | Yes (since iOS 16) | Yes, required | Full BIMI support including VMC |
| Yahoo Mail | Yes (since 2018) | No, optional | Shows logo without VMC |
| Fastmail | Yes | No, optional | Shows logo without VMC |
| Microsoft Outlook | Partial (2025+) | TBD | Rolling out gradually |
| AOL | Yes | No, optional | Shows logo without VMC |
The catch: Gmail and Apple Mail. the two largest email clients. require a VMC (Verified Mark Certificate), which costs $1,000-1,500/year. This makes BIMI primarily valuable for brands with established budgets. For cold email operations, the authentication requirements (DMARC enforcement) deliver the real value.
BIMI Without VMC
Yahoo, Fastmail, and AOL display your BIMI logo without a VMC. If your audience uses these providers, you can get BIMI branding benefits for free (just DNS + SVG logo). Gmail and Apple Mail require the paid VMC certificate.
Prerequisites: DMARC Enforcement Required
BIMI will not work without DMARC enforcement. Your domain must have a DMARC policy of p=quarantine or p=reject. A p=none policy is not sufficient.
Required authentication stack:
| Requirement | Status Needed | How to Check |
|---|---|---|
| SPF | Passing | MXToolbox SPF checker or InboxKit DNS validator |
| DKIM | Passing | Send test email, check Authentication-Results header |
| DMARC | p=quarantine or p=reject | MXToolbox DMARC checker or InboxKit DNS validator |
| DMARC alignment | SPF or DKIM aligned | DMARC aggregate reports |
If your DMARC is currently at p=none, you need to progress through the enforcement rollout before implementing BIMI:
- 1Week 1-2: Monitor DMARC reports at
p=none - 2Week 3-4: Move to
p=quarantine; pct=25 - 3Week 5-6: Increase to
p=quarantine; pct=100 - 4Week 7+: Optionally move to
p=reject - 5After enforcement is stable: Implement BIMI
InboxKit configures DMARC automatically for all mailboxes. Check your current DMARC status in the InboxKit domains dashboard or use InboxKit's free DMARC checker tool.
Do Not Rush DMARC Enforcement
Moving to p=reject too quickly can block legitimate emails from third-party services you have not authenticated. Always monitor DMARC reports for 2-4 weeks at p=quarantine before considering p=reject.
Creating Your BIMI SVG Logo
BIMI has strict requirements for the logo file format. A regular SVG from your website will not work.
BIMI SVG requirements:
| Requirement | Specification | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Format | SVG Tiny Portable/Secure (SVG P/S) | Not standard SVG |
| Size | Square aspect ratio | Must be perfectly square |
| Background | Solid, non-transparent | Transparent backgrounds not allowed |
| File size | Under 32 KB | Keep it simple |
| Content | Logo only | No text, animations, or external references |
| Encoding | Base64 is not allowed | Must be valid SVG XML |
| viewBox | Required | Must include viewBox attribute |
| Scripts | None | No JavaScript or interactivity |
Converting your logo to BIMI-compliant SVG:
- 1Start with your logo in SVG or high-res PNG format
- 2Open in a vector editor (Inkscape, Illustrator, Figma)
- 3Ensure it is perfectly square with a solid background
- 4Export as SVG Tiny 1.2
- 5Manually edit the SVG to add the BIMI profile:
</>XML
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.2" baseProfile="tiny-ps" viewBox="0 0 100 100">
<title>Your Company Name</title>
<!-- Your logo paths here -->
</svg>- 6Validate using InboxKit's BIMI checker or the BIMI Group's SVG validator
- 7Host the SVG on your domain over HTTPS (e.g.,
https://yourdomain.com/bimi/logo.svg)
Common SVG mistakes: Using standard SVG instead of SVG Tiny P/S, including