BIMI is a DNS record that points to your logo, so mail apps can show it next to your messages. Gmail, Apple Mail and Yahoo support it. You need DMARC at p=quarantine or p=reject, a logo in a strict SVG format, and for Gmail and Apple Mail a certificate that costs about $1,000 a year.
What BIMI does
BIMI stands for Brand Indicators for Message Identification. When a receiver sees mail from your domain that passes DMARC, it looks up your BIMI record, fetches the logo and, if everything checks out, shows it in place of the grey initial next to your name.
Your mail is judged the same way as before. The logo is a visible sign, for your customers, that mail from your domain is checked.
What you need
- DMARC at enforcement.
p=quarantineorp=reject. Google saysp=noneis not supported, and asks forpct=100if you usepctat all. - Your logo as SVG Tiny PS. A strict profile of SVG, at least 96 × 96 pixels. Most design tools export ordinary SVG, so the file usually needs converting.
- A mark certificate for Gmail and Apple Mail. Two kinds, below.
- The BIMI record in your DNS, pointing to the logo and the certificate.
v=BIMI1; l=https://yourcompany.dk/bimi/logo.svg; a=https://yourcompany.dk/bimi/certificate.pem
l= is the logo's address and a= the certificate's. Both must be served over HTTPS.
VMC or CMC: the two certificates
| VMC (Verified Mark Certificate) | CMC (Common Mark Certificate) | |
|---|---|---|
| Needs | A registered trademark for the logo, at a recognised trademark office | No trademark; proof the logo has been in use on the web, reportedly about a year |
| Gmail | Logo and a blue checkmark | Logo, no checkmark |
| Apple Mail | Logo | In practice not accepted (Nov 2024) |
| Cost | About $1,000 a year, bought through certificate resellers. Prices vary by issuer | |
Which inboxes show it
| Mail app | Shows your logo? | Certificate |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail and Google Workspace | Yes | VMC (logo and checkmark) or CMC (logo) |
| Apple Mail (iOS 16, macOS Ventura and later, iCloud.com) | Yes | In practice a VMC |
| Yahoo and AOL | Yes | None needed, if your domain sends enough mail with a good reputation |
| Outlook and Microsoft 365 | No | Not supported |
Apple also has Branded Mail through Apple Business, without a certificate. On iPhone it only shows when the phone's language is one of a short list, and Danish isn't on it, so it does little for Danish recipients today.
Is it worth it for a small business?
Start with the free part. Getting to p=quarantine or p=reject is worth doing on its own, and a BIMI record with a correct SVG costs nothing. Yahoo and AOL may show your logo without a certificate.
The certificate is the real cost. It makes most sense when many of your customers read mail in Gmail or Apple Mail, and your logo is one they'd recognise. If your logo is a registered trademark, the VMC adds the checkmark in Gmail.
What MonitorBase does today
The free domain check validates your BIMI record, checks your SVG against the format, and shows whether a certificate link is present. The BIMI inspector does the same for one record in more detail. Daily monitoring (Basic and up) re-checks BIMI along with SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
On Basic and up, MonitorBase also monitors the certificate. It reads the VMC or CMC your record points to and alerts you 30 days and 7 days before it expires, when it has expired, when the l= logo no longer matches the logo in the certificate, and when your DMARC policy leaves p=quarantine or p=reject.
Sources
- Google Workspace Admin Help, BIMI set-up page, knowledge.workspace.google.com (read 12 Nov 2026): requirements, VMC checkmark, CMC.
- Apple Support, article 108340 on BIMI in Mail, 7 Feb 2024, support.apple.com/en-us/108340.
- Yahoo Sender Hub, BIMI page, senders.yahooinc.com/bimi (read 12 Nov 2026): "We currently do not require VMCs".
- Spam Resource, BIMI support by mailbox provider, Nov 2024, spamresource.com: Outlook, Apple and CMC.
- Apple Business User Guide, Branded Mail, support.apple.com (read 12 Nov 2026): supported languages.
- Certificate prices: SSL2BUY, BIMI certificate cost, ssl2buy.com (read 12 Nov 2026), reseller prices.