Blog article

27 Nov 2025
8 minutes read

Kiara Saloojee
DMARC Enthusiast

BIMI lps tag explained: How to unlock multi-logo email branding

Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) continues to evolve, and one of the most useful new additions is the lps tag. The lps= (local-part selector) extension gives you precise control over which logo displays for specific sender addresses. This lets you support multi-logo branding without managing multiple domains or creating unnecessary email complexity.

With the lps tag enabled, your organization can:

Display one logo for [email protected]
Use a different logo for [email protected]
Suppress the logo for mail streams that shouldn’t appear branded

The lps tag is included in the latest BIMI draft (version 12), published November 3, 2025. Like all BIMI features, the lps tag only works when Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) is enforced with a policy of p=quarantine or p=reject.

Before you start testing BIMI configurations, make sure your domain is eligible for logo display.

Check your BIMI readiness with Sendmarc’s domain analyzer.

What is the BIMI lps tag?

It helps to define a few core concepts before explaining how the BIMI lps tag works.

BIMI in plain language

BIMI is a standard that allows participating email clients to display your verified brand logo next to an authenticated email in an inbox. BIMI builds on existing authentication controls:

Sender Policy Framework (SPF) and DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) verify which sources are allowed to send email for your domain and ensure the message hasn’t been altered in transit.
DMARC sets a policy (none, quarantine, or reject) and ensures alignment between the visible “From” domain and the authentication results.

BIMI is a DNS record that points to your brand logo and, optionally, to your certification. This certification is proof from a trusted authority that your brand has been verified.

When everything aligns, and the email client supports BIMI, your logo will appear in the inbox. This improves trust, recognition, and overall brand consistency.

BIMI selectors and the default BIMI record

BIMI uses selectors to show receivers where your logo information is stored. A typical record follows this structure:

Host	Record type	Value
`default._bimi.example.com`	`TXT`	`v=BIMI1; l=https://example.com/logo.svg; a=https://example.com/vmc.pem`

Here is what each part represents:

default is the selector.
_bimi is a fixed label used by the BIMI standard.
example.com is your sending domain.

The record includes:

v=BIMI1 – The BIMI version.
l= – URL to your BIMI-compliant SVG logo.
a= – URL to your BIMI certification (optional).

If you don’t specify anything else, this default BIMI record applies to all eligible emails sent from your domain.

What is the “local-part” in an email address?

An email address has two components:

The local-part is everything before the @ symbol. For example, support in [email protected].
The domain is everything after the @ symbol. For example, example.com.

Most businesses use different local-parts to represent teams, systems, or functions, such as news@, billing@, support@, or no-reply@.

Defining the BIMI lps tag

The BIMI lps tag (written as lps= inside the record) lets you map specific local-parts to different BIMI records. In simple terms, the lps tag tells receivers: “For these local-parts, use a different BIMI record than the default.”

This gives you the ability to:

Display a different logo for specific sender addresses.
Adjust branding per department or system.
Suppress the logo for mail streams that shouldn’t appear branded.

The lps tag acts as a local-part selector. It links local-part values such as news or payments to separate BIMI records, giving you precise control over how your brand appears across different email streams.

How the BIMI lps tag works (step-by-step)

The BIMI lps tag doesn’t change any underlying BIMI or DMARC requirements. Your email must still pass authentication before any logo can be displayed. What the lps tag changes is which BIMI record the receiver uses for a specific message.

Here is how the process works.

1. Message passes authentication

The message passes SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

2. Receiver looks up the default record

The receiving email system performs the standard BIMI lookup using the default selector.

For example:

default._bimi.example.com

3. Receiver reads the BIMI lps tag

If the default BIMI record includes an lps tag, the receiver reads it as a list of defined local-parts.

Example:

lps=news, billing, support

4. Local-part comparison

The receiver extracts the local-part from the message’s visible “From” address. For example, news in [email protected]. It then checks whether that value is included in the lps list.

5. Local-part BIMI lookup

If the local-part appears in the lps list, the receiver performs a new lookup using the local-part as the selector.

If this local-part BIMI record exists and is valid, the receiver uses that logo and certification. If the record is missing or invalid, or the local-part isn’t listed in the lps tag, the receiver falls back to the default BIMI record.

Want to test whether your domain is eligible for BIMI?

Use Sendmarc’s domain analyzer to validate your setup before you publish any records.

Common use cases for the BIMI lps tag

The BIMI lps tag is especially useful for companies that manage multiple brands, run sensitive communication flows, or send emails from several teams.

Different logos for different departments

Many organizations want to vary branding across email addresses without creating new domains, which the lps tag can help with.

For example:

Marketing and CRM: [email protected] or [email protected] can use a campaign-focused logo variant.
Support and operations: [email protected] or [email protected] may use a standard corporate logo for a consistent support experience.

Each local-part can reference its own BIMI record through the lps tag, giving you multi-logo branding while keeping your primary domain unchanged.

Suppressing BIMI where it’s not appropriate

Some email flows should appear neutral or shouldn’t highlight branding at all. These may include:

System alerts ([email protected])
Automated messages ([email protected])

For these local-parts, you can configure the lps tag to suppress the logo.

How Sendmarc helps you implement BIMI

BIMI depends on a strong DMARC foundation. Managing this manually can be complex. Sendmarc makes it simple, safe, and predictable.

Automatically discover sending sources and domains

Identify every system sending email on your behalf before enforcing DMARC or configuring BIMI. This reduces the risk of missing legitimate senders and breaking authentication.

Move safely to DMARC enforcement

Use guided workflows to progress from p=none to p=quarantine to p=reject without disrupting legitimate email.

Generate and validate BIMI records

Create and manage your BIMI record effortlessly. Sendmarc ensures DMARC compliance, assists with VMC/CMC purchasing, and validates syntax.

Monitor for misconfigurations

Sendmarc continuously monitors your email authentication records so you can catch issues before they impact your brand.

Protect more than just your logo

DMARC and BIMI work together to reduce spoofing, strengthen sender reputation, and make your brand more trustworthy and recognizable in the inbox.

Ready to deploy BIMI safely? Book a demo with Sendmarc to achieve full DMARC enforcement and a reliable BIMI configuration.