Gmail Introduces New Blue Verified Checkmarks for BIMI Senders

Have you jumped on the BIMI bandwagon yet?  

If you haven’t, the case to do so just became more compelling.  

Today, Gmail announced some exciting updates to their BIMI feature. Let’s take a look at their latest changes and what they mean for email stakeholders. 

Gmail’s BIMI update 

Pop quiz: What does “BIMI” (“BEE-mee”) stand for? 

Answer: It stands for Brand Indicators for Message Identification. BIMI enables consistent brand logo placement next to the name of the sender associated with an email in the inbox.   

The list of mailbox providers that support this functionality now includes major players like Apple, Google, and Yahoo. (For a full BIMI crash course, read our guide “Breaking Down BIMI: Brand Indicators for Message Identification.”) 

In Gmail’s newest release, they’re increasing the benefits even more for senders who implement BIMI.   

When senders implement BIMI, the Gmail platform will now display a “verified checkmark” next to the sender’s address and logo. This indicates that Gmail has verified the email was sent by the brand owning the logo shown. The concept is similar to the verified marks used on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, etc. to indicate “verified accounts.” Gmail’s update is also similar to the verified checkmark that Yahoo recently introduced in their mail app for senders who have implemented BIMI.

When hovering over the checkmark, a message appears that confirms the sender is verified as the true domain owner.  This release is web-only, but mobile is expected to follow shortly.   

Note that the checkmark only appears after subscribers have clicked into the email—it does not appear in the inbox view.  

What does this mean for senders? 

Gmail’s latest move is good news for senders. When they implement BIMI, they’ll be able to use their “verified” status to stand out from competitors in crowded inboxes.  

This will also help senders go a step further in winning subscribers’ trust—since subscribers can be confident they’re clicking on a message from a brand they trust who has implemented DMARC at full enforcement—not a spammer impersonating a brand’s domain. 

We are proud members of the BIMI Working Group with Google (and many other major mailbox providers) and are always excited to see tools and features that benefit everyone using email.   

To read the full update and release by Google on these great features and updates, read Google’s full announcement. Validity customers can also contact their Validity representative for more information.