What is Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI)?

BIMI benefits both sender and mailbox providers since it gives an additional layer of security.

Enhanced security and deliverability: You can’t have BIMI without DMARC implementation, meaning you need an authentication tool that prevents data spoofing.

Increased brand recognition: It helps subscribers avoid phishing attempts. It is easier for customers to recognize the sender of the message. The BIMI framework has protection against illegitimate senders spoofing logos.

Better engagement: From a marketing perspective, it makes your message stand out and encourages receivers to open your emails.

If your company wants to implement BIMI, you must create and publish a new DNS (Domain Name System) record with a URL to your business’s logo. When the mailbox provider checks your DMARC, it will look for a BIMI record. If the record matches, they will display the logo next to your email.

Since BIMI is a relatively new technology, inbox providers that support BIMI as of June 2023 are Apple Mail, Google, Yahoo, Fastmail, Cloudmark, La Poste, Onet Poczta, and Zone. Providers considering BIMI include Yahoo Japan, GMX, Web.de, Seznam, Qualitia, Comcast, BT Mail, and Atmail.

Before implementing BIMI, you’ll need to do the following steps:

The first step, and the most important one, is setting up DMARC. All your emails must be authenticated using SPF and/or DKIM. Once that is completed, the DMARC checks that the domain in SPF and/or DKIM check matches the sender’s domain in the From field and specifies how providers should deliver it if the message fails both SPF and DKIM – accept, reject, or mark it as spam.

Next, you’ll need to create a BIMI logo image. You should pay attention to how to format the file. The recommended size is a square.

After that, you should update your DNS with logo information.