Enterprise-Grade BIMI Management for Distributed Email Environments
BIMI helps supported inboxes display your brand logo next to authenticated emails. In large companies, BIMI rollout depends on cross-team coordination to enforce DMARC, meet trademark and certificate requirements where needed, and manage DNS changes.
Sendmarc helps you prepare for BIMI by standardizing authentication, supporting trademark and logo readiness, and streamlining VMC/CMC certification.
What BIMI Helps You Achieve
When BIMI is set up correctly, it can help you:
Increase brand recognition in supported inboxes by displaying your logo next to emails
Reinforce trust by linking brand identity to authenticated messages
Reduce successful impersonation by making it harder for spoofed emails to look legitimate
Understanding BIMI
BIMI is a standard that lets domain owners publish a BIMI assertion record in their DNS. Mailbox providers that support BIMI can display your logo when a message passes DMARC, and your BIMI record (and certificate, where required) is valid.
BIMI requires an enforced DMARC policy (quarantine or reject) applied at 100%.
How BIMI works in Five Steps
You implement a DMARC policy of quarantine or reject.
You host a BIMI-compliant SVG logo at a stable URL.
You obtain a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) or Common Mark Certificate (CMC) where required.
You publish a BIMI TXT record in the DNS.
You test that supported inboxes display your logo.
BIMI Record Basics
BIMI is configured using a DNS TXT record published under a BIMI selector. The default is: default._bimi.yourdomain.com
A BIMI record includes:
v=BIMI1: The version l=: The URL to your SVG logo a=: The certificate URL (optional) BIMI Record Example:
Host: default._bimi.yourdomain.com
Type: TXT
Value: v=BIMI1; l=logo_url; a=certification_authority;
Sendmarc helps you prepare for BIMI by getting your domain to DMARC enforcement, assisting with logo trademark registration where required, and supporting VMC or CMC certificate issuance.
Why BIMI Projects Stall
BIMI looks simple until it meets enterprise reality. Common reasons it slows down include:
- DMARC isn’t fully enforced yet: BIMI requires a DMARC policy of quarantine or reject. If some sending services aren’t aligned, enforcement has to pause until they’re corrected.
- Logo readiness becomes a workflow problem: BIMI requires a specific SVG format and stable hosting, which often involves marketing and IT approvals.
- Certificate decisions add complexity: Some mailbox providers require stronger proof of logo (for example, VMC), while others support alternatives (for example, CMC).
- DNS governance becomes a bottleneck: Large organizations often require reviews, change windows, and careful coordination across teams before publishing and updating records.
Protect Against Identity-Based Attacks
Most impersonation attempts succeed through one of three gaps: Spoofing, lookalike domains, or compromised accounts.
Sendmarc helps you reduce exposure across all three by bringing authentication controls and threat signals into one shared dashboard.
Keep an accurate list of approved sending services, so legitimate email can pass SPF as vendors and platforms change.
Ensure each sending platform signs emails correctly, so receivers can validate message integrity.
DMARC
Set a policy for authentication failures, and use DMARC reporting to see who’s sending on your behalf and whether messages align with your visible “From” domain.
BIMI
Display your logo in supported inboxes once DMARC is enforced and BIMI requirements are met.
Lookalike Domain Defense
Identify domains designed to mimic your brand and defend against impersonation attacks.
Breach Detection
Get alerted when user credentials are exposed in breaches, so you can act fast and reduce account takeover risk.
BIMI works best when authentication is consistent, and change control is in place across your domains.
Sendmarc helps you standardize authentication, validate BIMI readiness, and simplify ongoing maintenance.
BIMI FAQs
What is a BIMI Record?
A BIMI record is a DNS TXT record that tells supporting mailbox providers where to find your brand logo and the certificate used to validate it.
What DMARC Policy is Required for BIMI?
BIMI requires an enforced DMARC policy – either p=quarantine or p=reject – applied to all email (not a partial rollout).
Do I Need a VMC for BIMI?
No, you don’t always need a VMC for BIMI. It depends on the mailbox providers you’re targeting and whether your logo is trademarked. In some cases, a Common Mark Certificate (CMC) can be used instead of a VMC.
Why is My Logo Not Showing in Emails?
A logo might not appear for multiple reasons. The BIMI record might be incorrectly configured. The logo might not meet the format requirements, as it must be an SVG file. The recipient’s email client might not support the standard. Also, there might be no Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) or Common Mark Certificate (CMC), which some providers require.
What Size and Format Does the BIMI Logo Need To Be?
The BIMI logo must be a square SVG Tiny 1.2 file, under 32 KB in size, with a simple, recognizable, and scalable design.