The BIMI Checkmark: What It is and How to Attain It

Explaining the BIMI Checkmark

BIMI is an email specification that lets businesses display a verified logo in supporting inboxes. It sits on top of a fully enforced DMARC foundation – which means BIMI is only accessible to organizations that have already completed the underlying authentication work.

The BIMI checkmark is a visual indicator displayed by certain mailbox providers next to a verified logo in the inbox. It signals that the sender’s logo has been authenticated through BIMI and a supporting certificate.

The BIMI checkmark is rendered by the mailbox provider. Providers display it only after verifying that the requirements are met. It isn’t universally visible – meaning recipients using unsupported clients won’t see the checkmark, regardless of your configuration.

To display the checkmark specifically, mailbox providers require a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC). A VMC validates logo ownership and is issued by an accredited Certificate Authority (CA). Your company references this certificate in a BIMI DNS TXT record, which tells providers where to find both the certificate and your approved logo file.

Without a valid VMC, providers won’t display the BIMI checkmark. A Common Mark Certificate (CMC) enables logo display in some environments but doesn’t display a checkmark.

One clarification that matters: The BIMI checkmark is a brand authentication signal. It isn’t a security feature. It doesn’t prevent phishing, spoofing, or domain impersonation.

What You Need for a BIMI Checkmark

The BIMI checkmark has a defined set of prerequisites. Most businesses underestimate what’s required before a supporting provider displays their checkmark. The following must be in place:

• A DMARC policy set to p=quarantine or p=reject
• Correctly configured and aligned SPF and DKIM records
• An SVG Tiny PS logo file – a specific, standardized format
• A BIMI DNS TXT record, pointing to your certificate and logo
• A valid VMC obtained from an accredited CA

The DMARC enforcement requirement is the practical bottleneck for most organizations. Many have DMARC in place at p=none – a monitoring policy that collects reports but doesn’t offer any protection. That configuration doesn’t qualify for BIMI.

How Long It Takes To Obtain a BIMI Checkmark

The time it takes to get a BIMI checkmark varies for every company, and your current DMARC configuration is a significant factor.

If DMARC is already at enforcement, the VMC issuance process typically takes two to four weeks. One additional factor: A VMC requires a registered trademark for your logo. If your trademark isn’t registered, that process can take up to a year, and should be factored into your overall timeline.

If your DMARC policy is currently at p=none, the timeline is longer. Moving to enforcement requires identifying every legitimate source sending email on your domain’s behalf, correcting misconfigurations, and gradually tightening your policy – from p=none to p=quarantine, then to p=reject – while monitoring to ensure legitimate email isn’t affected.

For businesses with a straightforward email environment, this process can take three months. For enterprises managing multiple domains and third-party senders, it can take significantly longer.

The complexity of your environment is the primary variable. A single domain with one or two sending platforms is a different project from a distributed organization where marketing, HR, finance, and regional teams each operate their own email tools. The more senders involved, the more coordination is required before enforcement becomes safe.

Get a BIMI Checkmark with Sendmarc

Sendmarc’s enterprise email authentication solution helps companies of all sizes acquire a BIMI checkmark. With the Sendmarc Platform, businesses can:

• Achieve DMARC Enforcement: Sendmarc provides the visibility and management tools needed to move from p=none to enforcement without disrupting legitimate email flow
• Purchase a VMC: Sendmarc supports VMC procurement during the implementation process
• Implement and Manage BIMI: Sendmarc handles BIMI configuration and ongoing management

See how Sendmarc simplifies the entire BIMI implementation process for your organization.