About BIMI
Learn how to display your brand’s logo in recipients’ inboxes next to your from address using Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI). Implementing BIMI can increase brand recognition and build trust with your recipients.
What is BIMI?
BIMI uses your DNS settings to authenticate your visual brand identity in emails you send. This technology allows brands to control the logo used in inboxes when they send messages, in order to build trust and brand recognition. In addition, Gmail appends a blue check icon to senders verified with a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC). Gmail, Yahoo, and certain versions of Apple Mail support BIMI. See an up-to-date list of inboxes that support BIMI.
To add a brand logo in Outlook inboxes, use Bing Pages.
Prepare your account for BIMI
For email sent through Klaviyo, set up and activate a branded sending domain with the same root domain as your from address. Before enforcing DMARC, confirm that all services sending email from your domain pass DMARC. Messages that fail can be sent to spam or rejected.
BIMI Group sets certain requirements to ensure BIMI is used appropriately and doesn’t mislead any recipients or allow a sender to impersonate another brand. In order to implement BIMI, your brand must take the following steps:
- Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Your DMARC policy must use p=quarantine or p=reject, with enforcement applying to 100% of messages (pct=100). This requirement applies to your root domain and any sending subdomains. The Add DMARC record option in Klaviyo suggests p=none, which does not meet BIMI requirements.
- Prepare your logo image, ensuring it meets BIMI Group’s logo criteria, including the following:
- In SVG Tiny Portable/Secure (SVG Tiny PS) format (.svg)
- Image is square, with a centered logo and no additional text
- Hosted using HTTPS
- 32 KB or smaller (recommended)
- For BIMI logos to display in Gmail, obtain a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) or Common Mark Certificate (CMC). A VMC requires a trademarked logo and qualifies for Gmail’s blue check icon. A CMC allows a logo that is not trademarked but does not qualify for the check icon.
Implement BIMI
Once you’ve completed all the prerequisites, publish a BIMI TXT record in your domain’s DNS that points to your hosted logo and, where required, your mark certificate. Follow the BIMI implementation steps provided by Validity. After publishing, send a message to a supported inbox to check the result. Klaviyo does not issue VMCs or CMCs. If you have questions or concerns about implementing BIMI, refer to BIMI Group's FAQs.
BIMI is only supported by certain inboxes. Implementing BIMI will not impact how your message appears to recipients using non-supported inboxes. Even in supported inboxes, logo display depends on the provider’s authentication, certificate, and sender reputation requirements.
Additional resources
- How to set up a branded sending domain
Learn how to set up a branded sending domain (also known as a dedicated sending domain) so that when emails reach inbox providers, they will appear to come from your brand instead of Klaviyo.
- Brand design reference
Learn how to make your business look professional and reputable through your colors, designs, fonts, and brand concepts. This guide will walk you through