7 May 2026 · The DMARC Engine Team · 1 min read
Partly. BIMI can display your logo in some mailboxes with only a published BIMI record and an SVG logo. But the two inboxes most people care about, Gmail and Apple Mail, will not show it unless you also present a verified mark certificate.
What the major inboxes require
Gmail and Apple Mail require a VMC (Verified Mark Certificate) or, for unregistered logos, a CMC (Common Mark Certificate). This is a certificate from an authorised issuer that confirms you own the logo (a VMC typically requires a registered trademark). Without it, those clients ignore your BIMI record and fall back to a generic initial or avatar.
Other providers, such as some Yahoo and Fastmail inboxes, may render the logo from your SVG alone, which is why you sometimes see a BIMI logo appear without a VMC.
The prerequisite either way
Before BIMI works anywhere, your domain must be at DMARC enforcement, p=quarantine or p=reject (not p=none), with the record published at default._bimi.yourdomain. Your logo must be SVG Tiny PS. A VMC/CMC then unlocks Gmail and Apple Mail on top of that.
Reaching enforcement safely is the hard part, and it is exactly what DMARC Engine does for you. Once you are at reject, see the BIMI record guide to add your logo and certificate, or start your setup.