# BIMI record

A BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) record points to your logo so inboxes such as Gmail, Apple Mail and Yahoo can show it next to your messages. It only works once DMARC is at quarantine or reject, and Gmail and Apple also require a mark certificate.

- Record type: TXT (BIMI is carried in TXT records)
- Lives at: default._bimi
- Used for: Email
- How common: Specialist

## Format

```
default._bimi <ttl> IN TXT "v=BIMI1; l=<logo URL>; a=<certificate URL>"
```

| Field | What it means | Accepted values |
| --- | --- | --- |
| v=BIMI1 | Marks the record. | `BIMI1` |
| l= | Your logo. | An https:// URL to a square SVG in the SVG Tiny Portable/Secure profile. |
| a= | Your Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) or Common Mark Certificate (CMC). | An https:// URL to a .pem file. Required by Gmail and Apple Mail. |

## Examples

### Logo with certificate

```
default._bimi 3600 IN TXT "v=BIMI1; l=https://example.com/bimi/logo.svg; a=https://example.com/bimi/vmc.pem"
```

The full setup for Gmail and Apple Mail.

### Declining BIMI

```
default._bimi 3600 IN TXT "v=BIMI1; l=;"
```

An empty l= says you don't want a logo shown.

## TTL

3600.

## Common mistakes

- Publishing BIMI while DMARC is p=none. Inboxes ignore it.
- A regular SVG export. The logo must use the SVG Tiny PS profile, with a square viewBox and no scripts.
- Expecting a logo in Gmail without a VMC or CMC.

## At your DNS host

- Any DNS host: a TXT record at default._bimi.

## Questions

### Do I need a certificate for BIMI?

For Gmail and Apple Mail, yes: a Verified Mark Certificate (needs a registered trademark) or a Common Mark Certificate. Some other inboxes show the logo without one.

## Related

- [DMARC record](https://lemon.domains/dns-records/dmarc.md)
- [DKIM record](https://lemon.domains/dns-records/dkim.md)
- [SPF record](https://lemon.domains/dns-records/spf.md)
- [CAA record](https://lemon.domains/dns-records/caa.md)

Interactive version with a record checker and live lookup: https://lemon.domains/dns-records/bimi