BIMI for Shopify brands: is the logo in the inbox worth it?

What is BIMI email?

BIMI stands for Brand Indicators for Message Identification. It uses your DNS settings to tell inbox providers which logo belongs to your domain, so they can show it next to your emails in the inbox.

The BIMI Group, the working group behind the standard, puts it simply: BIMI doesn't change message delivery. It's a display signal that sits on top of strong authentication. That's the most important thing to understand before you spend money on it.

Which inboxes show BIMI logos?

According to Klaviyo, Gmail, Yahoo and certain versions of Apple Mail support BIMI. Outlook doesn't use BIMI for this. Klaviyo points brands to Bing Pages if they want a logo in Outlook inboxes.

Even in the inboxes that support it, display isn't guaranteed. Klaviyo notes that showing the logo depends on each provider's authentication, certificate and sender reputation requirements. And if someone uses an inbox that doesn't support BIMI, nothing changes for them.

The certificate rules differ by provider:

• Gmail: needs a VMC or a CMC for your logo to show, per Klaviyo. A VMC also gets you Gmail's blue check icon.
• Yahoo: the BIMI Group says some providers, Yahoo included, may show your logo without a certificate. Its listed conditions include a valid BIMI record and SVG, DMARC at quarantine or reject, bulk mail only, and enough reputation and engagement.
• Apple Mail: supported in certain versions, per Klaviyo. Check Apple's own requirements before counting on it.

Support changes over time, so check each provider's current rules before you buy anything.

What do I need to set up BIMI?

Four things. Here's the list, from Klaviyo's BIMI article and the BIMI Group's implementation guide.

1. A branded sending domain in Klaviyo

For email sent through Klaviyo, you need an active branded sending domain on the same root domain as your From address. If you're still on Klaviyo's shared sending domain, stop here and fix that first. My step-by-step is in Klaviyo DMARC setup.

2. DMARC at enforcement

This is the real gate. Klaviyo says your DMARC policy must be p=quarantine or p=reject, applied to 100% of messages (pct=100), on your root domain and any sending subdomains. The BIMI Group is just as strict: a p=none policy, or a pct below 100, isn't accepted.

That catches a lot of brands. The DMARC record Klaviyo suggests during domain setup is p=none, which is the right place to start, and it doesn't meet BIMI's requirement.

Moving to enforcement affects every email your domain sends: Shopify order emails, your help desk, your reviews app, your own inbox. Klaviyo's warning is to confirm every service sending as your domain passes DMARC before you enforce, because failing messages can go to spam or get rejected.

3. Your logo as an SVG Tiny PS file

Klaviyo's requirements for the logo:

• SVG Tiny Portable/Secure (SVG Tiny PS) format, saved as .svg
• Square, with the logo centered and no extra text
• Hosted over HTTPS
• 32 KB or smaller (recommended)

The BIMI Group adds no scripts, no external resources and no embedded images. A normal SVG export from a design tool usually isn't SVG Tiny PS, so plan for a conversion step.

4. A BIMI record, and usually a certificate

You publish a BIMI TXT record in your DNS that points to your hosted logo and, where required, your mark certificate. The BIMI Group's example host is default._bimi on your domain, and the record looks like this:

v=BIMI1; l=https://yourbrand.com/bimi/logo.svg; a=https://yourbrand.com/bimi/cert.pem

The a= part is the certificate. It's technically optional, but Gmail needs it.

VMC or CMC: which certificate do I need?

Both prove to Gmail that the logo is yours. The difference is trademarks.

Klaviyo says it doesn't issue either certificate. You buy one from an approved Mark Verifying Authority, listed on the BIMI Group's site. The BIMI Group says pricing varies by issuer and to expect an annual fee. Mark certificates are currently valid for up to 398 days, so this is a yearly renewal, not a one-time cost.

Does BIMI improve deliverability?

Not directly. The BIMI Group says it doesn't change message delivery. What it can do, in Klaviyo's words, is increase brand recognition and build trust with your recipients.

There's an indirect benefit, though. To get BIMI at all, you have to get your authentication to a strong place: a branded sending domain, SPF and DKIM passing, and DMARC at enforcement. That work matters for deliverability on its own. I list the rules Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook now expect in the Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook sender requirements checklist.

And a logo won't move you out of the Promotions tab. Where Gmail puts you comes down to how your list engages with you, which I cover in the Gmail Promotions tab post.

Is BIMI worth it for a Shopify brand?

Here's how I'd decide.

Do it now if: you already have a branded sending domain, DMARC is already at quarantine or reject with nothing breaking, and you have a trademarked logo. You're most of the way there. The logo file and the certificate are the last steps, and the blue check is a nice trust signal next to every email.

Do it later if: you're on p=none, or you're not sure what else sends email as your domain. Get to enforcement carefully first. That's a project with real risk, and I wouldn't rush it during a busy sales period.

Skip it for now if: you're still on Klaviyo's shared sending domain, or you're warming a new one. Fix the foundation first. My Klaviyo domain warming post covers that part.

A logo in the inbox is nice. It won't save emails nobody wants to open. Spend the first hour on the authentication and the list, and the logo can come after.

FAQ

WRITTEN BY Jack White

Founder of Bardown Digital, a Chicago-based Klaviyo email and retention agency for Shopify brands. He's worked with brands doing $500K to $100M a year, with $100M+ in email-attributed revenue across them.

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