← All topicsAuthentication & Verification › BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Id)
Accuracy / correctness · 2
accuracyVMC cost: article body says $1,000-1,500/yr; aiSummary and sibling articles say $1,500-3,000. Script hedges to 'around one thousand to fifteen hundred dollars a year' matching this article's body. Kept hedged ('often somewhere around') so it reads as a range, not a fixed benchmark. Accurate to source.
accuracyDMARC-prerequisite stated clearly and repeatedly (Beat 3 + takeaway): enforcement = p=quarantine or p=reject, no enforced DMARC no logo. Matches article and aiSummary exactly. VMC framed as Gmail-only, Apple/Yahoo exempt, matching article. No inbox/deliverability promise made (BIMI framed as trust/anti-phishing signal only). Clean.
Would elevate the video · 1
elevateArticle names DigiCert and Entrust as the authorized VMC issuers. Script keeps the CA generic ('a paid credential'). Naming the two CAs adds concreteness and appears in almost every sibling article; worth a half-line in Beat 4 or 5.
Considered, left out · 1
skipArticle's closing free-tool nudge (DMARC Checker) is folded into the NEXT beat as 'check where your DMARC stands' rather than a hard tool link. Kept the intent, dropped the explicit tool name to avoid a product pitch in an intro-level 'what is' video. Fine to skip.
What is BIMI? The logo in your inbox, explained
Question: 003.004.001 · What is BIMI? · ~3:00 · single-question video
COLD OPEN
Why does one brand's logo show up in the inbox, and yours doesn't?

You've seen it. A brand emails you, and there's their actual logo sitting next to the message, not a blank circle or a gray initial. That's BIMI. And it isn't a design trick. It's a reward for doing your email authentication right.

⬡ browser-mock, inbox list: one row shows a real brand logo, the rows above show plain gray initials
BEAT 1, the one-line answer

BIMI stands for Brand Indicators for Message Identification. In plain words: it displays your verified logo next to your emails in inboxes that support it. Gmail, Apple Mail, Yahoo, Fastmail, and a growing list of others.

⬡ browser-mock, harborpost.net row, lighthouse logo fades in beside the sender name
BEAT 2, why it exists (teach ONE idea)
A logo you can't fake.

Here's the problem it solves. People genuinely struggle to tell a real email from a spoofed lookalike. A verified logo in the inbox is visual proof that the sender is who they claim to be. It's an anti-phishing signal and a brand-visibility win rolled into one.

⬡ split-compare, LEFT real harborpost.net with logo · RIGHT spoofed lookalike, blank icon, no logo to steal
BEAT 3, the hard prerequisite
BIMI is the reward for doing DMARC right.

This is the part most people miss. BIMI only shows up if your domain is at DMARC enforcement, meaning a policy of p=quarantine or p=reject. That's the hard prerequisite, and it's where most senders haven't reached yet. No enforced DMARC, no logo. Think of BIMI as the trophy for taking your authentication seriously. New to DMARC? There's a whole video on it, linked below.

⬡ auth-flow, DMARC check passes at p=reject, gate opens, logo renders
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BEAT 4, the four pieces

So getting BIMI live takes four things. One, DMARC at enforcement. Two, a logo in a specific format called SVG Tiny P/S. Three, a BIMI DNS record pointing to that logo. And four, for Gmail specifically, a Verified Mark Certificate, a paid credential that proves you own the logo.

⬡ checklist, four items check off: DMARC enforced · SVG P/S logo · BIMI DNS record · VMC (Gmail)
BEAT 5, the cost reality

That certificate costs money, often somewhere around one thousand to fifteen hundred dollars a year, which is why BIMI adoption leans toward bigger brands. Good news: Apple Mail and Yahoo don't require it. So if you're already at DMARC enforcement, logo display there is within reach with just the DNS record.

⬡ split-compare, LEFT "Gmail: needs VMC ($)" · RIGHT "Apple Mail + Yahoo: DMARC + record"
TAKEAWAY
⬡ title-card

So BIMI is your verified logo in the inbox, and it's earned, not bought. Get DMARC to enforcement first, then the logo follows.

NEXT / SUBSCRIBE

Not sure where your DMARC stands? That's the next thing to check. Subscribe, and the full authentication playbook is one click away.

⬡ end-card, Subscribe + Next: "Why does BIMI require DMARC enforcement?" (003.004.009)
DESCRIPTION

What is BIMI? Brand Indicators for Message Identification displays your verified brand logo next to your emails in supporting inboxes like Gmail, Apple Mail, Yahoo, and Fastmail. This video covers what BIMI actually is, why it exists as an anti-phishing and brand-visibility signal, and the one hard prerequisite people miss: BIMI only works once your DMARC is at enforcement (p=quarantine or p=reject). Plus the four pieces you need and where the VMC cost comes in.

Next: Why BIMI requires DMARC enforcement → [link 003.004.009]

Full written guide → reviewmyemails.com/emailalmanac/authentication/bimi/what-is-bimi

#email #bimi #deliverability

CONNECTIONS
• next: 003.004.009 Why does BIMI require DMARC enforcement
• related: 003.003.001 What is DMARC · 003.003.004 How do I move to DMARC enforcement · 003.001.001 What is SPF
• vocab: BIMI, DMARC enforcement, SVG Tiny P/S, VMC, spoofing