What is BIMI?
The breakthrough email authentication standard Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) lets companies show their official logos in email clients. While corporate logos may already be in your email, BIMI is different because of control. Email clients traditionally use logos from several sources, causing platform discrepancies. BIMI allows domain owners to show official logos on every emails. This increases brand identification, email security, and consumer confidence.
Why Do You Need BIMI?
Key Benefits:
- Brand Recall: Your logo consistently appears in the inbox, reinforcing your brand.
- Customer Confidence: A recognizable logo builds trust and customer relationships.
- Email Deliverability: Emails authenticated with BIMI are more likely to land in the inbox.
- Visual Confirmation: Your logo is a visual cue for email authentication.
- DMARC Integration: BIMI works seamlessly with your existing DMARC setup, adding an extra layer of security.
How to Create and Publish a BIMI Record?
To leverage BIMI, you must first enforce your DMARC policy to either “reject” or “quarantine.” Once DMARC is in place, you can create a BIMI DNS TXT record. This record resides in the “_bimi” namespace of your DNS, with the default record being “default._bimi.”
Example BIMI Record:
default._bimi IN TXT “v=BIMI1;l=https://url.to/your.file.svg;a=https://url.to/certificate.pem”Key Requirements for BIMI
- DMARC enforcement is mandatory.
- Your logo must be in SVG Tiny 1.2 format.
- Ensure your email providers support BIMI.
- Publish the BIMI DNS record.
How to Create a BIMI DNS Record?
Refer to the instructions of the BIMI consortium and its tools to create your record effortlessly. They guide you through the process, ensuring an error-free setup.
Publishing Your BIMI Record
- Log in to your DNS management console.
- Navigate to the Advanced DNS Editor.
- Create a new TXT record.
- Paste your generated BIMI record and save the changes.
BIMI Adoption as of September 2023
- Yahoo! (excluding Yahoo! Japan)
- AOL
- Apple
- Netscape
- Gmail
- Google Workspace
- Fastmail
- POBOX
By adopting BIMI, you’re not just enhancing your brand’s visual identity but also fortifying your email security and improving deliverability rates. It’s a win-win for both businesses and consumers.
