BIMI Setup Guide for Gmail

The short answer: To set up BIMI, enforce DMARC at p=quarantine or p=reject with pct=100, convert your logo to a square SVG Tiny PS file hosted over HTTPS, publish a TXT record at default._bimi.yourdomain.com pointing to it, and, for Gmail, add a VMC or CMC certificate through the a= tag. Authentication comes first; BIMI is the final layer.

What BIMI Does

BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) lets mailbox providers show your logo beside messages from your domain, in place of a generic initial or blank avatar. The domain owner publishes a DNS record that points to a logo, and the provider displays it only if the message passes DMARC with an enforced policy.

It is a brand and trust signal, not a deliverability or security control in itself. The security benefit comes from the DMARC enforcement BIMI requires.

Which Mailbox Providers Show the Logo

Support varies, and so do certificate requirements. As of the sources checked in October 2026:

Provider behaviour changes, so verify against each provider's current documentation before planning around a particular client. The gap in Outlook means BIMI mainly benefits audiences on Gmail, Apple Mail and Yahoo.

The Requirements in Brief

The detailed rules for certificates and SVG files are covered in BIMI requirements: VMC, CMC and SVG Tiny PS. In summary:

1. DMARC enforcement. p=quarantine or p=reject. p=none does not qualify. The percentage must be 100, and the subdomain policy (sp) should match so subdomains are not left unprotected.
2. Aligned SPF and DKIM. DMARC needs at least one aligned pass for your messages.
3. A logo in SVG Tiny PS. A restricted SVG profile with no scripts, external links or embedded raster images.
4. A certificate for Gmail. A Verified Mark Certificate needs a registered trademark. A Common Mark Certificate is the route for logos without one, with fewer visual benefits in Gmail.
5. A public HTTPS location for the SVG and the certificate file.

Check readiness with the DMARC checker before doing anything else.

Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1: Get DMARC to enforcement at 100%

If you are on p=none, you must work through the rollout first. A BIMI-ready record looks like this:

v=DMARC1; p=reject; sp=reject; pct=100; rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@yourdomain.com

Follow DMARC policy: none vs quarantine vs reject for the staged path, and DMARC aggregate reports to confirm legitimate senders are passing. Do not rush this; BIMI never justifies breaking real mail.

Step 2: Prepare the SVG logo

Start from a vector version of your logo. Typical requirements:

• Square aspect ratio, with the logo centred and padding around it, since providers crop to a circle or rounded square.
• A solid background colour is recommended for Gmail.
• No gradients that rely on unsupported features, no filters, no scripts, no external fonts (convert text to outlines), and no embedded bitmaps.
• Gmail asks for at least 96 by 96 pixels in absolute units and a file of 32 KB or less, and expects a <title> and <desc>.
• The root element must declare the Tiny PS profile:

<svg version="1.2" baseProfile="tiny-ps" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
     viewBox="0 0 96 96" width="96" height="96">
  <title>Example Company</title>
  <desc>Example Company logo</desc>
  <rect width="96" height="96" fill="#1e3a8a"/>
  <circle cx="48" cy="48" r="24" fill="#ffffff"/>
</svg>

Exporting from Illustrator or Figma often produces SVG that is not Tiny PS compliant, so validate with a BIMI checking tool before publishing.

Step 3: Host the files over HTTPS

Upload the SVG to a public URL such as https://yourdomain.com/bimi/logo.svg. It must return a 200 status without login, redirects that leave HTTPS, or a restrictive robots or firewall rule. If you have a certificate, host the PEM file too, at https://yourdomain.com/bimi/logo.pem.

Step 4: Obtain a certificate if you need Gmail

Gmail requires a VMC or CMC issued by an authorised certificate authority, who verifies your organisation and your logo. A VMC requires the logo to be a registered trademark, and displays Gmail's verified checkmark. A CMC does not require a registered trademark but does not give the checkmark. See BIMI requirements for the process. Pricing is set by the certificate authorities and changes, so get current quotes directly.

If you only need Yahoo, Fastmail or other providers that accept self-asserted records, you can publish without a certificate and add one later.

Step 5: Publish the BIMI DNS record

BIMI uses a TXT record at default._bimi.yourdomain.com.

Without a certificate:

default._bimi.yourdomain.com.  TXT  "v=BIMI1; l=https://yourdomain.com/bimi/logo.svg;"

With a certificate:

default._bimi.yourdomain.com.  TXT  "v=BIMI1; l=https://yourdomain.com/bimi/logo.svg; a=https://yourdomain.com/bimi/logo.pem;"

Some DNS hosts add quotation marks automatically, so do not wrap the value twice.

Step 6: Test and wait

1. Look up the record with a BIMI lookup or inspector tool, such as the one offered by the BIMI Group, to confirm the record, SVG and certificate all validate.
2. Check your DMARC with the DMARC checker.
3. Send mail from the domain to a Gmail address. Providers can take up to 48 hours to start showing the logo, and may also weigh sender reputation, so a new or low-volume sender may take longer.

Using More Than One Logo (Selectors)

The default selector is default. You can publish additional selectors, such as marketing._bimi.yourdomain.com, and tell the receiver which to use by adding a BIMI-Selector header to outgoing mail:

BIMI-Selector: v=BIMI1; s=marketing

This is useful when different brands or streams share one domain. Most small senders only need the default.

Troubleshooting

Common SVG Export Problems

Most BIMI failures are file problems rather than DNS problems. Watch for these when exporting from a design tool:

• Text left as live text. Convert all type to outlines. External fonts are not allowed, and a viewer without the font will render something different.
• Embedded raster images. A logo containing a placed PNG is not a vector and will fail Tiny PS.
• Wrong root attributes. Many exporters write version="1.1" and omit baseProfile. Change it to version="1.2" baseProfile="tiny-ps".
• Unsupported elements. Scripts, animation, links, and filter effects are not allowed. Remove them.
• Transparent background. Gmail recommends a solid background, so add a full-size rectangle behind the mark.
• Off-centre logo. Providers mask the image to a circle or rounded square, so keep important detail away from the edges.
• Oversized file. Simplify paths until the file is under Gmail's 32 KB limit.

After editing, test the file in the BIMI Group's inspector and view it at small sizes. A logo that is unreadable at 40 pixels will look poor in an inbox list.

Keeping BIMI Working

BIMI is not set-and-forget. Plan for:

• Certificate renewal. VMCs and CMCs expire. Diarise the renewal well ahead, replace the PEM file at the same URL, and re-test.
• New senders. Any new platform sending as your domain must pass DMARC before it sends. Mail that fails DMARC is blocked or quarantined, and a policy that is quietly loosened to fix it would disqualify BIMI.
• Logo changes. If you redesign the logo, the SVG, certificate and DNS record all need to match. A certificate is issued for a specific mark.
• DNS changes. Moving DNS providers means re-creating the _bimi record along with SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Compare against your old zone before you cut over.

Re-run the DMARC checker after any of these changes.

BIMI Readiness Checklist

• DMARC is quarantine or reject at pct=100, with sp matching
• Reports show all legitimate senders passing
• SVG is square, Tiny PS, under 32 KB, with <title> and <desc>
• SVG is served over HTTPS with a 200 response
• VMC or CMC obtained for Gmail and hosted as a PEM file
• TXT record published at default._bimi.yourdomain.com
• Record tested in a BIMI inspector
• Test message sent to Gmail

Is BIMI Worth It?

For most small businesses, priorities are: authenticate with SPF, DKIM and DMARC, reach p=reject, and only then consider BIMI. If you send high volumes to consumers on Gmail, Apple Mail and Yahoo, the logo can help recognition. If your audience is mostly Outlook, the return is smaller. Meeting bulk sender requirements is a more urgent priority than BIMI for most senders.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a VMC for BIMI?

For Gmail, you need a VMC or a CMC. Yahoo and some other providers show logos without a certificate. A CMC is for logos that are not registered trademarks.

Does BIMI work with p=none?

No. DMARC must be quarantine or reject with pct=100.

Why is my BIMI logo not showing in Gmail?

The usual causes are a DMARC policy that is not enforced at 100%, a missing or mismatched certificate, a non-compliant SVG, or an inaccessible file. Allow up to 48 hours after changes.

Does Outlook support BIMI?

Microsoft Outlook has not been reported to support BIMI natively, so Outlook recipients will not see the logo.

Can I use a PNG instead of SVG?

No. BIMI requires SVG Tiny PS.

Next step: Check your DMARC policy and what stands between you and BIMI with the free DMARC checker or a free email audit. For help getting to enforcement, see the email security setup service.