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How to implement Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI)
How to implement Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI)

Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI). How to generate and how to use.

Vladislav Podolyako avatar
Written by Vladislav Podolyako
Updated over 6 months ago

Table of contents

Follow the steps below for your logo to display correctly at participating mailbox providers. For details on all BIMI technical specifications, please visit:

Pre-work

  1. Make sure BIMI is supported.
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    - Contact your email administrator, email service provider, or domain hosting company and ask what steps are required to implement BIMI.
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    - If BIMI implementation is not covered under a service agreement, ask what steps you need to take to set it up using the information below.
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  2. Implement DMARC authentication on all marketing emails.
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    - Passing DMARC is required for BIMI to work.
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    - Check email headers at Gmail, Microsoft, or Verizon Media (AOL and Yahoo!) inside Folderly to see if DMARC is passing or have any errors
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    - DMARC policy (p=) must be "quarantine" or "reject" for Verizon Media (AOL and Yahoo!). Otherwise, your logo will not display.
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  3. Determine which logo your subscribers should see for your brand.
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    - BIMI requires the SVG (.svg) image format. Other image formats may be supported in the future
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    - The image must be square, centered, and only be your logo without text
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    - Participating mailbox providers should size the image appropriately. Store your logo using HTTPS and note the URL string (e.g., https://subdomain.brand.com/image/logo.svg).
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    - Your logo will not display using HTTP.
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    - Be sure to update the image if you rebrand. If you change your logo's location, your DNS TXT record will also need to be updated with the new URL.
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  4. (Optional/Future) Obtain a Verified Mark Certificate.
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    - A Verified Mark Certificate is currently optional and issued by invitation only. It may be required in the future.
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    - If you do not have a Verified Mark Certificate, skip this step.
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    - Store your certificate using HTTPS and note the URL string (e.g., https://subdomain.brand.com/vmc/logo.pem).
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    - The URL is entered into the assertion record within the a= tag.
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  5. Determine how to measure success once BIMI is deployed.
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    - It is a good idea to have your "before BIMI" metrics so you can compare them to metrics after BIMI is implemented.
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    - Typical engagement metrics such as reads and click-throughs are good to track and look at revenue and average order value.

BIMI Implementation

Create the DNS TXT (text) record for your domain

  1. Choose your domain and selector.
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    - Note the "From:" domain (RFC5322) used in your marketing emails. This is the domain where you create the DNS TXT record.
    - Choose a selector name. The selector name is what a mailbox provider uses to look up your BIMI record.
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Use the "default" selector name if:

You plan on rolling out BIMI to multiple brands, and you need more control over how the logos are displayed.

  • You have a single brand or testing one brand before implementing your other brands.

  • There are technical constraints to adding the BIMI-selector header into your emails.

  • Most senders use "default" to start because it is faster to implement than choosing a selector name and inserting the BIMI-Selector header.

  • Choosing "default" means that you aren't required to insert the BIMI-Selector header into your emails.
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    ​Choose your selector name if:

  • You plan on rolling out BIMI to multiple brands, and you need more control over how the logos are displayed.

  • A selector name is whatever you want it to be, but keep it short. Examples are a date (July2019) or a brand name (brandabc).
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  • The selector name you choose should have meaning and purpose that makes sense for your business.

2. Create a DNS TXT (text) record for the domain you noted above.

  • Use the instructions provided by your email service provider or domain hosting company to create the TXT record yourself.

  • Be sure you use the correct syntax.

  • Be sure you include all required tags in the assertion record

Your DNS BIMI record should resemble one of the examples below (using your selector, domain, logo URL, and Verified Mark Certificate URL):

  • No Verified Mark Certificate:

brandx._bimi.brand.com IN TXT "v=BIMI1; l=https://subdomain.brand.com/image/logo.svg; a=;"

  • With a Verified Mark Certificate:

brandx._bimi.brand.com IN TXT "v=BIMI1; l=https://subdomain.brand.com/image/logo.svg; a=https://subdomain.brand.com/vmc/logo.pem;"


If you use the "default" selector name, it should resemble this:

default._bimi.brand.com IN TXT "v=BIMI1; l=https://subdomain.brand.com/image/logo.svg; a=;"


​Insert (sign) the BIMI-Selector header into your emails

If you are using the "default" selector name, it is unnecessary to insert the BIMI-Selector header into your emails. Participating mailbox providers automatically look up your BIMI record using "default." Just make sure your DNS TXT record is accurate, as demonstrated by the example above.
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If you are using a selector name other than the "default" selector name:

  • Consult your technical team or email service provider to determine the best way to insert it into your emails.

  • Be sure the BIMI-Selector header has the correct syntax.

  • Be sure the s= value in the BIMI-Selector header matches the selector name in the DNS exactly, or your logo will not display.

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