In crowded inboxes, first impressions matter. A recognised, verified brand logo can be the difference between your email being opened or ignored.

BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) lets your verified logo appear next to emails in supported inboxes such as Gmail and Yahoo. When paired with Klaviyo’s automation, BIMI builds trust, improves deliverability, and turns brand recognition into measurable engagement.

What This Guide Covers:

• What BIMI is and why inbox providers support it

• 5 reasons why BIMI boosts recognition with Klaviyo

• Setup requirements (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, VMC/CMC) explained

• Campaign applications to apply today

• Common pitfalls and troubleshooting fixes

What Is BIMI and Why Use It with Klaviyo?

BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is an email standard that lets inbox providers like Gmail and Yahoo show your verified logo when authentication passes. It builds on SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, making security and branding work together — if you haven’t reviewed your deliverability setup, check our step-by-step checklist to stay out of spam.

Why It Matters:

• Brand trust: Visible verification proves sender identity.

• Anti-phishing: Harder for spoofed domains to impersonate you.

• Consistency: Reinforces branding across all inbox views.

• Engagement lift: Google reports BIMI can raise open rates by 10%.

For Klaviyo users, BIMI enhances lifecycle flows and campaigns by making your messages recognisable before they’re opened. This pre-open recognition helps campaigns cut through inbox noise and creates a visual trust signal that competitors may lack.

Key Setup Needs:

• Valid SPF & DKIM on your sending domain.

• Enforced DMARC policy (p=quarantine or p=reject).

• BIMI-compliant SVG logo.

• Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) for Gmail adoption.

When paired with Klaviyo’s segmentation and personalisation tools, BIMI isn’t just cosmetic—it’s functional. It reduces phishing risk, reassures subscribers, and primes your audience for higher engagement.

Reason 1 — Build Trust with a Verified Logo

Trust happens before subject lines are read. BIMI provides this by requiring logos to be verified and authenticated, adding a layer of visible security. Gmail’s Verified Mark Certificates (VMCs) ensure only trademark owners display their brand marks.

How BIMI Builds Trust in Klaviyo:

• Authentication first: Set up SPF and DKIM correctly.

• Strict DMARC: Enforce p=quarantine or p=reject (BIMI Group).

• Verified Mark Certificate: Required for Gmail, available via Entrust or DigiCert.

Once active, your logo replaces generic avatars in the inbox. This signals authenticity at first glance, reassuring subscribers that messages are safe and brand-owned. Combined with Klaviyo’s flows, such as an abandoned cart flow or a product launch sequence, your emails gain immediate legitimacy.

Why This Matters:

• Increases subscriber confidence.

• Reduces phishing exposure.

• Helps your campaigns stand out visually.

This verified presence means less hesitation, fewer deletions, and better first impressions—all before your content is opened.

Source: SSL2BUY

Reason 2 — Reinforce Brand Consistency Across Campaigns

Consistency builds recognition. BIMI ensures your verified logo appears the same across inboxes, aligning email with your website, ads, and social channels. This makes your Klaviyo campaigns instantly familiar to subscribers.

In Practice:

• Apply BIMI to high-volume flows like a welcome series, post-purchase flows, and abandoned cart emails to maximise consistency.

• Match email designs in Klaviyo templates to your brand style guide.

• Use the same logo file you display on your site and social channels.

With BIMI, your brand identity becomes visible before content loads, ensuring subscribers know it’s you. Over time, repeated logo impressions increase trust and recall, making subscribers more likely to engage.

Why This Works:

• Creates a unified look across touchpoints.

• Makes campaigns instantly recognisable.

• Builds long-term trust through repetition.

For Klaviyo brands, this means even promotional blasts or seasonal emails benefit from the same baseline recognition as transactional flows.

Reason 3 — Boost Engagement with Social Proof Alignment

BIMI primes subscribers to trust your email before they read it. When paired with social proof, it creates a powerful one-two punch for engagement. Trustpilot reports customers are more likely to act when they see reviews or UGC alongside brand messaging.

How to Combine in Klaviyo:

• Use BIMI on review-request flows, connect it with a Trustpilot x Klaviyo integration, and add a widget to strengthen credibility.

• Showcase UGC and loyalty rewards in campaigns.

• Run A/B tests to measure open and click-through lift on BIMI-enabled domains.

The inbox logo reduces hesitation to open, while the content proves authenticity with peer validation. This layered trust increases both opens and post-click engagement.

Why It Matters:

• Logo builds first-level trust.

• Reviews and UGC reinforce credibility inside the email.

• Engagement metrics improve across both acquisition and retention campaigns.

Together, BIMI and social proof create a seamless journey—from inbox confidence to in-email persuasion.

Source: GlockApps

Reason 4 — Strengthen Deliverability & Security

Inbox providers prioritise authenticated senders. BIMI builds on DMARC to prove legitimacy, boosting both deliverability and brand protection. For Klaviyo senders, that means fewer emails diverted to spam and a stronger domain reputation.

Steps to Implement:

• Confirm SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are all aligned.

• Monitor open, bounce, and spam placement in Klaviyo dashboards, and apply best practices like those in our guide to hard vs soft bounces to keep your list clean.

• Use BIMI as part of a multi-layer authentication approach.

Why It Matters:

• Inbox placement: Verified logos make providers more confident in your messages.

• Security: Reduces phishing attempts on your domain.

• ROI impact: More emails delivered means higher campaign revenue.

Deliverability depends on technical setup and subscriber behaviour. With BIMI, you reinforce both by showing inbox providers and subscribers that your brand is verified and secure.

Reason 5 — Measure ROI and Optimise Performance

BIMI adds credibility, but CMOs need numbers. Klaviyo reporting lets you measure the impact of BIMI by isolating campaigns before and after rollout.

Metrics to Track:

• Open rate lift from inbox visibility.

• CTR changes from increased trust.

• Revenue per recipient pre- vs post-BIMI.

• Review submission rates when paired with flows like post-purchase review requests.

Klaviyo’s Custom Reports and A/B testing strategies make it easy to segment and analyse BIMI-enabled campaigns. This ensures you can show leadership concrete ROI on branding and security investments.

Optimisation Tips:

• If opens rise but CTR stalls, refine subject lines and CTAs.

• If conversions improve, scale BIMI across all domains.

• Use results to strengthen your wider authentication strategy.

BIMI becomes more than a logo—it becomes a measurable performance driver inside Klaviyo.

Common Pitfalls & Troubleshooting

Even small setup errors stop BIMI from showing. Most issues come from certificates, logo formatting, or DNS records.

Frequent Issues & Fixes:

Best Practices:

• Validate SPF, DKIM, and DMARC before testing.

• Use BIMI Group tools to confirm eligibility.

• Test inbox appearance across Gmail and Yahoo before launch.

By catching these pitfalls early, you protect both deliverability and trust. With the right setup, every Klaviyo campaign benefits from the BIMI trust signal.

BIMI helps you stand out by placing your verified logo where trust starts — before your email is even opened. Pair this with smart email marketing campaign strategies to keep your messages performing long after setup.

FAQs

1. Do all inbox providers support BIMI?

• No. Gmail and Yahoo currently support BIMI, but others may not. Still, implementing it future-proofs your email strategy as adoption grows.

2. Is a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) always required?

• Yes for Gmail, but not all providers. To ensure your logo displays everywhere it can, securing a VMC from providers like Entrust or DigiCert is recommended.

3. Does BIMI replace SPF, DKIM, or DMARC?

• Not at all. BIMI builds on these protocols, so you must already have SPF, DKIM, and DMARC properly configured before BIMI works.

4. Will BIMI guarantee higher open rates?

• No guarantee, but case studies show a lift of up to 10% (Klaviyo). Results depend on your audience, subject lines, and content quality.

5. How long does it take for BIMI to show once set up?

• It can take 24–48 hours for DNS changes to propagate and inboxes to reflect the logo. Testing tools like BIMI Inspector help confirm progress.

Conclusion

Inbox competition is fierce, and every edge matters. BIMI helps you stand out by placing your verified logo where trust starts—before your email is even opened. You’ve seen how it reinforces brand consistency, boosts engagement, protects deliverability, and provides measurable ROI. For CMOs already investing in Klaviyo, BIMI isn’t just a technical add-on; it’s a strategic advantage that strengthens both security and recognition.

By taking the time to configure authentication correctly and monitor results, you position your brand as trustworthy, credible, and forward-looking. In short, BIMI turns the inbox from a risk point into an asset for brand-building and conversion.

Key Takeaways

• Trust First: BIMI proves sender identity with a visible logo, building confidence before an email is opened.

• Consistent Branding: Your logo appears the same across inboxes, aligning email with other channels.

• Engagement Boost: Pair BIMI with social proof in Klaviyo campaigns to increase opens and clicks.

• Deliverability Gains: Stronger authentication reduces phishing risk and improves inbox placement.

• ROI Visibility: Klaviyo reporting makes it easy to measure BIMI’s impact on revenue and engagement.

Losing clicks because subscribers don’t trust the sender?

Boost your email success by authenticating with BIMI — a powerful trust signal that significantly increases open rates and engagement. Discover how Klaviyo BIMI can elevate your performance—click here and schedule your free audit with us, and start building stronger customer trust today!