Available with the BIMI (Inbox Logo) add-on ($4/domain/month). Requires the Email Authentication add-on (DMARC at enforcement).
1. What This Feature Does
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) publishes a DNS TXT record at default._bimi.<yourdomain> that points supporting inboxes — Gmail, Apple Mail, and Yahoo — to your brand logo, so it appears next to the messages you send. CertaDNS hosts and publishes the record and validates your logo against the required SVG profile.
The record has two key tags: l= (the logo, a specific SVG profile) and a= (a Verified Mark Certificate, or VMC).
2. When You Should Use It
- You send branded email from your own domain and want your logo shown in the inbox to boost recognition and trust.
- Your domain is already authenticated and at DMARC enforcement.
- You have (or can obtain) a Verified Mark Certificate for your trademarked logo.
3. When You Should Not Use It
- Your domain is not yet at DMARC enforcement (policy of quarantine or reject) — BIMI will not display until it is.
- You don't have a registered trademark for your logo and can't obtain a VMC — Gmail and Apple Mail won't show the logo without one.
- Your logo can't be expressed as a square SVG in the required profile (for example, a complex raster or non-square mark).
4. Prerequisites
- The Email Authentication add-on on the domain, at DMARC enforcement (quarantine or reject).
- A square logo in the SVG Tiny Portable/Secure (SVG-Tiny-PS) profile — no scripts, no external references.
- A Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) for Gmail and Apple Mail, obtained from a certificate authority (for example DigiCert or Entrust) and billed separately by that authority.
5. How It Works (Brief)
Once your domain is at DMARC enforcement, you upload your logo SVG; CertaDNS validates it against the BIMI profile and flags anything that won't pass. You add your VMC (the a= tag), and CertaDNS publishes and hosts the BIMI record at default._bimi.<yourdomain>. Supporting mailbox providers read the record, fetch the logo and VMC, and begin displaying your logo next to your mail.
6. How to Use It
- Reach DMARC enforcement on the domain (via Email Authentication).
- Open Email Authentication → BIMI and upload your logo SVG; review the validation result.
- Add your VMC URL.
- Publish — CertaDNS hosts the record and logo; supporting inboxes pick it up.
7. Inputs and Settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Selector | The BIMI selector (default) |
| Logo (l=) | Your brand logo, an SVG-Tiny-PS file CertaDNS validates and hosts |
| VMC (a=) | The Verified Mark Certificate URL (required for Gmail and Apple Mail) |
8. Outputs and Results
- A published, hosted
default._bimiTXT record referencing your logo and VMC. - An SVG validation report (valid, or the specific profile errors to fix).
- Your logo shown beside your messages in supporting inboxes once providers refresh.
9. How to Interpret Results
- SVG valid + VMC present: BIMI is ready; the logo will appear in Gmail, Apple Mail, and Yahoo.
- SVG valid, no VMC: the record is published, but Gmail and Apple Mail won't show the logo until a VMC is added.
- SVG errors: the logo isn't in the required profile — fix the reported issues and re-upload.
10. Common Issues and Explanations
- Logo not showing despite a BIMI record: the domain isn't at DMARC enforcement, or there's no VMC — Gmail and Apple Mail require a VMC.
- SVG rejected: the logo isn't in the SVG-Tiny-PS profile (square viewBox, no scripts/external refs). The free BIMI Checker reports the specific errors.
- Logo slow to appear: mailbox providers cache BIMI; allow time after publishing.
11. Limits and Constraints
| Constraint | Value |
|---|---|
| BIMI (Inbox Logo) | $4/domain/month add-on; requires the Email Authentication add-on |
| DMARC policy | Must be quarantine or reject (enforcement) |
| Selector | default |
| VMC | Required for Gmail and Apple Mail; purchased separately from a CA |
| Logo format | SVG Tiny Portable/Secure (SVG-Tiny-PS), square |
12. Related Features
- DMARC Reporting and the DMARC Policy Wizard — reach the enforcement BIMI requires.
- MTA-STS & TLS-RPT — the transport-security layer included with Email Authentication.
- Free BIMI Checker — look up any domain's record, preview and validate the logo, and confirm a VMC, no account required.
13. Updates and Behavior Changes
- BIMI is offered as a standalone "Inbox Logo" add-on ($4/domain/month), layered on the Email Authentication add-on.
- CertaDNS validates the logo SVG against the BIMI profile and hosts the published record.