Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) is an email standard that lets a sending domain display its verified logo next to messages in supporting inboxes like Gmail and Apple Mail. It works only when the domain publishes an enforced DMARC policy (quarantine or reject) and points to a hosted logo file. For most major mailbox providers, the logo also requires a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC), which proves the brand owns a registered trademark of that logo.
How it works
You publish a DNS TXT record at default._bimi.yourdomain.com that points to an SVG logo (Tiny PS profile) and, usually, to a VMC. The receiving inbox checks that the message passed DMARC alignment, then fetches and shows the logo. No enforced DMARC, no logo. The certificate ties the mark to the domain so a lookalike sender cannot borrow your branding.
Why it matters
BIMI does not by itself improve deliverability, but the DMARC enforcement it demands does protect your domain from spoofing. The visible payoff is recognition: your logo appears in the inbox, which raises open rates and trust for the emails your business actually sends.
Applied to B2B quoting on Shopify
Quotes are high-value, high-trust messages. A buyer weighing a proposal is exactly the person a scammer wants to impersonate. If your quote emails go out from your own authenticated domain, BIMI puts your verified logo beside them, so the recipient can tell a real quote from a fake at a glance. This matters most when you send quote links or PDFs directly from your domain rather than from a generic no-reply address. See the B2B quoting glossary for related deliverability and domain terms, or the pricing page for plan details.
Example
A distributor sets DMARC to p=reject, buys a VMC for its trademarked logo, and publishes the BIMI record. Buyers now see the company logo next to every quote email in Gmail, instead of a blank avatar or initials.