Getting started
Getting organized to successfully implement BIMI
If you'd like to get started implementing BIMI so your logo shows up next to emails, you're in the right place. The implementation is structured as a check list to provide clarity on exactly what you need to do and with steps in a specific order to ensure items that are done in the optimal order. Whether you use dedicated project management software or want to organize in a doc, you can take each of the steps and work them each individually to track your progress.
Level setting on some challenges you may encounter
Implementing BIMI is worthwhile, but the process involves some complexity. Consider the following before you begin.
- Email authentication prerequisites. BIMI builds on existing email authentication standards, so a successful implementation requires your organization's overall email security and authentication posture to meet certain requirements. If you make these changes without care, servers you use to send email (including marketing platforms) may have messages rejected by receiving mail servers unless they're properly configured.
- Cross-team coordination. Implementing BIMI touches multiple parts of your organization, including security, IT/infrastructure, and sales. Your security and infrastructure teams will need to make changes to your Domain Name System (DNS) records, and your sales team should be prepared for the company logo to appear in place of any personal photos they currently use in outbound email.
- Mark certificate purchase. BIMI requires a Mark Certificate issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) such as GlobalSign, SSL.com, or DigiCert. The CA must manually review and verify your business information before issuing the certificate, which can be a lengthy process. Checkout the mark certificates guide for guidance on how you can prepare and prevent any validation issues during the business verification process.
Of the three approved mark certificate issuers listed above, we recommend GlobalSign because we've found their business validation process to be the smoothest and their team the most reliable to work with.