The Top 5 Mistakes When Applying for a VMC — and How to Avoid Them
- Benjamin Tack
- Nov 24
- 3 min read
Implementing BIMI and Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs) is one of the smartest moves a brand can make for its reputation and deliverability.
But it’s also a process that combines marketing, legal, and technical worlds — and that’s where things often go wrong.
At Bimimi.io, we’ve guided countless organisations through VMC and CMC applications.
Here are the five most common pitfalls we see — and how to make sure your logo appears in inboxes, not in limbo.
1) Skipping or misconfiguring DMARC
The mistake:
Many brands rush to apply for a VMC before fully aligning their email authentication setup.
Without a properly enforced DMARC policy (p=quarantine or reject), BIMI simply won’t work — no matter how valid your certificate is.
Why it matters:
DMARC is the foundation of BIMI. It proves that your domain is authentic and that you control your email infrastructure.
How to fix it:
Ensure you have SPF, DKIM, and DMARC correctly configured.
Check alignment between “From” and “Return-Path” domains.
Use tools like Agari, Valimail, or EasyDMARC — or let Bimimi.io verify your setup during onboarding.
2) Using a non-compliant logo format
The mistake:
Uploading a .PNG or .SVG that doesn’t meet the strict SVG Tiny Portable/Secure (SVG-P/S) format required by BIMI.
Many logos fail validation because of embedded fonts, layers, or external assets.
Why it matters:
Mailbox providers like Gmail and Apple Mail will only display verified logos that strictly comply with BIMI’s security format.
How to fix it:
Convert your logo to the official SVG-P/S profile.
Ensure it’s square, clean, and vector-based.
Let Bimimi.io handle the logo conversion for guaranteed compliance.
3) Trademark issues — or missing registration
The mistake:
Applying for a VMC without having a registered trademark (required by most CAs), or using a trademark not owned by your organisation.
Why it matters:
CAs like DigiCert and GlobalSign verify trademark data against official registries (WIPO, USPTO, EUIPO, INPI, etc.).
If ownership isn’t clear, your application will stall for weeks.
How to fix it:
Register your logo as a trademark before applying (in at least one jurisdiction).
Keep proof of ownership and jurisdiction handy.
Or, if you don’t have a trademark yet, apply for a CMC (Common Mark Certificate) instead — it covers prior-use marks.
4) Choosing the wrong certificate provider
The mistake:
Some organisations assume all CAs issue identical VMCs — but there are real differences in pricing, validation time, and support quality.
Choosing the wrong CA can delay your project or increase costs unnecessarily.
Why it matters:
DigiCert, GlobalSign, and SSL.com are all BIMI-recognised — but each has its own strengths:
DigiCert: fastest validation, enterprise-grade support.
GlobalSign: best price, automation-friendly.
SSL.com: great flexibility and mid-range pricing.
How to fix it:
Compare providers before applying.
Use a vendor-agnostic partner like Bimimi.io to choose the right CA based on your budget, trademark status, and timeline.
5) Neglecting DNS publication and verification
The mistake:
Forgetting the final step — adding the BIMI record to DNS.
Even with a valid certificate, no inbox will show your logo until the record is published and propagated.
Why it matters:
The BIMI DNS record tells mailbox providers where to find your verified logo and certificate.
A single typo or propagation delay can ruin your rollout.
How to fix it:
Publish the BIMI TXT record with the correct syntax:
default._bimi.yourdomain.com IN TXT “v=BIMI1; l=https://yourdomain.com/logo.svg; a=https://yourdomain.com/vmc.pem”
Check propagation and syntax with BIMI Inspector or Bimimi.io’s validation service.
Always test before announcing your BIMI launch.
Bonus: Thinking BIMI is “just marketing”
The mistake:
Underestimating BIMI as a superficial marketing gimmick.
In reality, it’s an email authentication milestone that boosts deliverability, security, and brand recognition — all at once.
How to fix it:
Treat BIMI as part of your brand protection and trust strategy, not a cosmetic feature.
Engage both your marketing and IT/security teams early in the process.
In summary
VMC success depends on getting every layer right — technical, legal, and visual.
Most failures happen not because BIMI is complex, but because teams underestimate its precision.
At Bimimi.io, we streamline this process:
we check your DNS setup,
we format your logo,
we handle trademark validation,
and we liaise directly with the CA on your behalf.
So your logo appears where it should: in inboxes, not error logs.
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