Your logo beside your e-mails: what BIMI is and what it asks for

The short answer: BIMI makes your company’s logo appear beside the messages you send, in some e-mail services. It is a final layer, which only works once your domain’s authentication is all in order. For most small businesses it is not the first step, and not every e-mail service shows it.

What must exist first

Requirement Why
SPF and DKIM right They prove the e-mail really comes from your domain. See SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
DMARC in enforcement (p=quarantine or p=reject) Only when the policy rejects or quarantines what fails can the logo be trusted. A DMARC that only observes (p=none) is not enough. See Creating your DMARC record.
The logo in a specific format An SVG file of a restricted type (SVG Tiny PS), square and simple. An ordinary designer’s SVG usually needs converting.
A brand certificate (VMC or CMC), for some services Some providers only show the logo if it comes with a certificate issued by an authorised body, which may require a registered trademark and costs money. Check what each service asks.

The DNS record

When everything is ready, you create a TXT record at the name default._bimi.your-domain.com with content of this kind:
v=BIMI1; l=https://your-domain.com/bimi/logo.svg; a=https://your-domain.com/bimi/certificate.pem
The l= is the (https) address of the logo; the a= is the certificate’s, when one is used. The files must be reachable on the site, in the public_html folder. How to create a TXT record is in DNS records.

There is no guarantee it will show. Each e-mail service decides whether it accepts BIMI, on what conditions and for how long it keeps the decision. Meeting all this gives you the chance, not the certainty. Before spending money on a certificate, check whether the e-mail service your most important customers use supports it.
The most important thing, and the one that brings a real result, is DMARC in enforcement: it protects your customers from fake e-mails in your name. See Someone is sending e-mail in the name of your domain.

Want help getting DMARC in order before you think about BIMI? Open a ticket with the domain.

Open a support ticket

SEE ALSO

Creating your DMARC record, and reading what it sends back

SPF, DKIM and DMARC: why your e-mail lands in spam

Reading an e-mail header: did SPF, DKIM and DMARC pass?

DNS records explained: A, CNAME, MX, TXT and TTL

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