BIMI logo in Gmail: what it takes, what it costs, what fails
Gmail shows a BIMI logo only with DMARC enforcement, an SVG Tiny PS file and a VMC or CMC. Costs, failures, and whether it pays off for B2B outbound.
$1,350 to $1,750
On this page
Gmail shows your logo through BIMI when you have DMARC at quarantine or reject with pct=100, an SVG Tiny PS file, a DNS record and a mark certificate. A VMC needs a registered trademark and adds a checkmark. A CMC needs 12 months of logo use and shows no checkmark. A VMC lists at about $1,350 to $1,750 a year.
For B2B cold outbound the case is weak: Microsoft 365 mailboxes do not display BIMI, Yahoo wants bulk volume, and the published lift figures come from consumer studies. BIMI is still an Internet-Draft with no formal standing, and some providers show logos only for large senders or well-known brands, so publishing the records is necessary but not sufficient.
What Gmail asks for
A receiver works through these checks in order, and the logo appears only if every one holds:
The message passes DMARC
Stops here ifDMARC fails, or the message carries more than one From address.The DMARC policy is at enforcement
_dmarc.yourdomain.com TXT "v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; pct=100"Stops here ifp=none,sp=noneon the sending subdomain, orpctbelow 100.A BIMI record is published
default._bimi.yourdomain.com TXT "v=BIMI1; l=https://yourdomain.com/logo.svg; a=https://yourdomain.com/mark.pem"Stops here ifNo record at the sending domain or at its organizational domain.The logo file passes
<svg version="1.2" baseProfile="tiny-ps">Stops here ifNot SVG Tiny PS,xoryon the root element, over 32 KB, or not served over HTTPS.The mark certificate validates
Stops here ifNo VMC or CMC, an intermediate certificate missing from the file, an expired certificate, or a logo that differs from the one atl=.Gmail shows the logo
ThenA VMC adds the verified checkmark; a CMC shows the logo alone. Allow up to 48 hours.
The record lives at default._bimi on your domain:
default._bimi.example.com. IN TXT "v=BIMI1; l=https://example.com/logo.svg; a=https://example.com/certificate.pem"Google's own example leaves l= empty when the certificate carries the logo. Keep it filled, because Yahoo asks for a record that points to a valid SVG.
VMC or CMC
Since September 2024, Gmail accepts a Common Mark Certificate as well as a Verified Mark Certificate. A CMC shows your logo without the verified checkmark a VMC adds.
List price for one logo on one base domainOpen end: a starting price
DigiCert says it can usually issue the same day once your documents are verified, and Sectigo quotes 5 to 10 days. The slow step is the trademark.
The trademark requirement for a VMC
A VMC needs a logo trademarked with the right office for your region, and Google says the trademark process can take 6 to 12 months. Without a registration, the CMC route needs 12 months of logo use on a domain you control. With neither, there is no certificate to buy yet.
The SVG file
Exported logos rarely pass on the first try.
- Root attributes. The root element must declare
baseProfile="tiny-ps"andversion="1.2", and must not carry thexandyattributes that design tools add on export. - Square, centered, solid background. Transparent backgrounds may not display as expected.
- Size. The BIMI Group sets 32 KB as the ceiling, and Fastmail asks for under 16 KB, so smaller is safer. Google wants at least 96 by 96 pixels, set in absolute pixels.
The BIMI Group's Inspector checks your record and DMARC policy but says it does not validate the SVG or the certificate. A clean result there does not mean the logo file is valid.
Where it fails after setup
- The logo changes. The certificate carries its own copy of the logo, and a receiver may compare it with the file at
l=. A new logo needs a new certificate. - The certificate lapses. It lasts at most 397 days, and receivers check the validity dates. Put a reminder on the renewal.
- A subdomain needs a different logo. A record at the organizational domain is inherited by subdomains, so publish a separate one only when a subdomain needs its own logo.
- Testing too soon. Google says a logo can take up to 48 hours to appear, so test with fresh mail after that.
Who shows the logo
| Mailbox provider | Certificate | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail | VMC or CMC | Logo for both, checkmark for VMC only. Workspace and personal accounts. |
| Yahoo Mail and AOL | Not required | DMARC at quarantine or reject, bulk mail, and enough reputation and engagement. |
| Apple Mail (iOS 16, macOS Ventura 13 or later) | VMCs and other evidence documents | Sender and email service provider both meet BIMI and Apple's requirements. The page does not mention CMCs. |
| Fastmail | Not required | DMARC at quarantine or reject, and an SVG under 16 KB. |
| Microsoft 365 (Exchange Online) | Not supported | Microsoft's documentation, updated October 2026, says Exchange Online does not yet support BIMI. |
Is BIMI worth it for B2B outbound?
For low-volume cold outbound, probably not yet.
- The lift figures are about consumers. Litmus cites an average 10% rise in opens found by Verizon Media. A Red Sift survey of 1,026 people in the US and UK reported opens up 21% in the US and 39% in the UK when a brand showed a logo and its competitor did not. Neither describes cold B2B email.
- Reach is narrow. Microsoft 365 mailboxes show nothing, and a small program may not meet Yahoo's volume and reputation conditions. That leaves Gmail, Google Workspace and Apple Mail, and Gmail needs a paid certificate.
- The bill recurs and multiplies. One certificate covers one logo on one base domain, so a program that sends from several domains pays for each, every year.
Do the parts that cost nothing first. Get DMARC to enforcement, since every route to BIMI requires it. For a cheap trial, publish a record without a certificate, which Yahoo and Fastmail accept. Buy a certificate only when buyers already recognize your sending domain, most of your list is on Gmail or Google Workspace, and you hold the trademark or 12 months of logo use.
The authentication groundwork is covered in SPF, DKIM and DMARC explained and the 2026 deliverability checklist.
Sources
- knowledge.workspace.google.comDMARC at quarantine or reject with pct=100
- sectigo.comA VMC lists at about $1,350 to $1,750 a year
- digicert.comA VMC lists at about $1,350 to $1,750 a year
- datatracker.ietf.orgInternet-Draft with no formal standing
- bimigroup.orgshow logos only for large senders or well-known brands
- senders.yahooinc.comKeep it filled, because Yahoo asks for a record that points to a valid SVG
- workspaceupdates.googleblog.comSince September 2024, Gmail accepts a Common Mark Certificate as well as a Verified Mark Certificate
- digicert.comusually issue the same day
- sectigo.com5 to 10 days
- digicert.comtrademarked with the right office for your region
- docs.digicert.com12 months of logo use on a domain you control
- bimigroup.orgThe root element must declare baseProfile="tiny-ps" and version="1.2", and must not carry the x and y attributes that design tools add on export
- fastmail.helpFastmail asks for under 16 KB
- bimigroup.orgThe BIMI Group's Inspector checks your record and DMARC policy but says it does not validate the SVG or the certificate
- ietf.orgmay compare it with the file at l=
- bimigroup.orgA record at the organizational domain is inherited by subdomains, so publish a separate one only when a subdomain needs its own logo
- workspaceupdates.googleblog.comWorkspace and personal accounts
- support.apple.comVMCs and other evidence documents
- learn.microsoft.comMicrosoft's documentation, updated October 2026, says Exchange Online does not yet support BIMI
- litmus.comLitmus cites an average 10% rise in opens found by Verizon Media
- redsift.comA Red Sift survey of 1,026 people in the US and UK reported opens up 21% in the US and 39% in the UK when a brand showed a logo and its competitor did not