What the heck is BIMI for email and why should you care?!
Benefits of BIMI
- Boosted Security
BIMI works hand-in-hand with DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) to ensure that your emails are authenticated. This strengthens your brand’s security and helps prevent phishing by ensuring no one can impersonate your domain. - Anti-Phishing
The visual cue of your brand’s logo in the inbox helps customers easily spot legitimate emails, reducing the risk of phishing. It’s especially useful for industries like finance, eCommerce, and social media, where fraud is more prevalent. - Increased Visibility
Your logo right in the inbox means your emails stand out. This makes it more likely that your emails will be opened, read, and engaged with, giving you a competitive edge.
The Step-by-Step Process to Set Up BIMI
Setting up BIMI involves several steps, mostly revolving around DMARC implementation and preparing your logo. Follow these steps to get your brand’s logo showing up in inboxes:
Step 1: Set Up a DMARC Policy
Before you can implement BIMI, you must have a DMARC policy set to p=reject. This ensures that only legitimate emails from your domain are delivered, while those that fail DMARC checks are rejected.
- Create a DMARC record: You’ll need to create a DMARC record for your domain. This is done by adding a TXT record to your DNS settings.
- Set the policy to p=reject: This tells mail servers to reject any email that fails the DMARC checks. The record should look something like this:
v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@yourdomain.com; ruf=mailto:dmarc-failures@yourdomain.com; fo=1
Step 2: Get Your Logo Ready
BIMI requires a vector-based logo, specifically an SVG file. The logo must adhere to strict guidelines to ensure that it displays correctly across different inbox providers. The logo should:
- Be a square: Make sure the logo is a square with equal width and height.
- Be in SVG format: Use a scalable vector graphic (SVG) for the best quality and compatibility.
- Not exceed 32 KB in size: Keep the file size below 32 KB to ensure faster loading times and compliance.
- Be a clear and recognisable image: Ensure the logo is high-quality, with enough contrast against the background to ensure it’s visible.
Step 3: Obtain a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC)
To get BIMI working, you need to obtain a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC). This certificate authenticates your logo and proves that you are the rightful owner of the trademark. VMCs are issued by trusted authorities like DigiCert or GlobalSign.
- Apply for the VMC: You’ll need to submit proof that you own the trademark associated with your logo.
- Pay the fee: There is typically a cost associated with getting the VMC, so be prepared for that.
- Wait for approval: Once approved, you’ll receive the certificate, which you’ll use to authenticate your logo.
Step 4: Add the BIMI Record to Your DNS
Once you’ve got your logo and VMC ready, you’ll need to add a BIMI record to your DNS settings. This tells inbox providers where to find your logo.
- Create a TXT record in your DNS settings:
default._bimi.yourdomain.com
The record should point to the location of your logo and VMC file. - Ensure the VMC is publicly accessible: The VMC and logo file must be hosted on a publicly accessible server.
Step 5: Test Your BIMI Implementation
After adding the BIMI record, you should test your setup to ensure that everything is working correctly.
- Use a BIMI testing tool: Tools like Dmarcian’s BIMI Validator can check whether your BIMI setup is correct and whether inbox providers will display your logo.
- Check inboxes: Send a test email to Gmail or Apple Mail to check if your logo appears correctly.
The Cons of BIMI
While BIMI comes with numerous benefits, it also has some downsides you should consider:
- Cost of Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs)
Obtaining a VMC can be expensive, especially for smaller businesses. The cost typically ranges from $1,500 to $2,000 per year, depending on the provider, which may be a barrier for some brands. - Complex Setup
Setting up BIMI requires technical knowledge, particularly in configuring DMARC and DNS settings. You may need help from your IT team or an email service provider to ensure everything is set up correctly. Plus, you need to make sure your logo is the right format and meets all size requirements. - DMARC Policy Implications
To use BIMI, your DMARC policy must be set to p=reject, which can have delivery implications. If your emails fail DMARC checks, they will be rejected. This means you’ll need to ensure that all your emails are DMARC-compliant before enabling BIMI, which may take some time and effort. - Logo Compatibility Issues
Ensuring your logo displays correctly across different inbox providers can be tricky. Some email clients may not support BIMI, or they might display the logo differently. You’ll need to ensure your logo is optimised for various inbox platforms.
Final Thoughts
BIMI is a powerful tool for enhancing email security and improving brand visibility in the inbox. While the setup process can be a bit complex and costly, the benefits in terms of anti-phishing protection and visibility make it a worthwhile investment for many brands. If you’re ready to secure your brand’s reputation and stand out in the inbox, BIMI is definitely worth considering.
Have questions about setting up BIMI for your brand? Reach out to us – we’re always here to help you navigate the technical side of email marketing!
