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Where Should the BIMI DNS Record Be Published?

Q: My company sends from multiple domains. Do I need separate BIMI records for each?

Yes. Each domain in your header From: address needs its own BIMI TXT record at default._bimi. . The same certificate URL can be referenced in multiple records, but each domain needs its own entry. If each domain also requires a VMC, each VMC must cover that specific domain's trademark.

Published On: June 23, 2026Read Time: 3 minutes

Direct Answer

The BIMI TXT record must be published at default._bimi.yourdomain.com — where yourdomain.com is the domain in the email’s header From: address. The subdomain prefix is always default._bimi. Publishing the record at the wrong location (e.g., directly at yourdomain.com or at _bimi.yourdomain.com without the default selector) means the record will not be found by mailbox providers.

DNS Record Specification

Field	Required Value	Notes
Record type	TXT	Must be a TXT record. Not CNAME, A, or any other type.
Host / Name	`default._bimi`	Relative to the domain. Full name: `default._bimi.yourdomain.com`.
Version tag	`v=BIMI1;`	Must be the first tag. Semicolon required.
`l=` tag	HTTPS URL to SVG Tiny PS file	Must be publicly accessible with no redirects. Empty value (`l=;`) is valid to indicate no logo is published.
`a=` tag	HTTPS URL to VMC or CMC file	Required by Gmail and most certificate-requiring providers. The file must point to a BIMI-compliant certificate hosted over HTTPS.

Example Record

Example BIMI DNS TXT record

; Host: default._bimi.yourdomain.com
; Type: TXT
"v=BIMI1; l=https://yourdomain.com/bimi/logo.svg; a=https://yourdomain.com/bimi/vmc.pem"

Subdomains and Multiple Sending Domains

Each domain in the header From: address needs its own BIMI record at default._bimi.<that-domain>. A record at default._bimi.yourdomain.com does not cover mail sent from mail.yourdomain.com or marketing.yourdomain.com. If multiple domains use the same logo and certificate, those URLs can be referenced across records — but each domain requires its own DNS entry.

The default selector in default._bimi is the only currently standardized selector. The BIMI specification reserves space for additional selectors in future, but default is the only one mailbox providers currently look for.

Common Location Errors

The most frequent DNS placement mistakes that cause BIMI checks to fail: publishing at _bimi.yourdomain.com (missing default. prefix), publishing at the apex domain (yourdomain.com), publishing at www._bimi.yourdomain.com, or publishing under the wrong organizational domain when sending from a subdomain. These errors matter because of how BIMI logo display works — if the record isn’t exactly where mailbox providers expect it, the check fails silently. Use the BIMI checker to verify the record is resolving at the correct location.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a CNAME instead of a TXT record for BIMI?

No. The BIMI specification requires a TXT record. Some DNS providers may support CNAME flattening, but the BIMI lookup expects a TXT record at the exact subdomain. Publish the record directly as a TXT record at default._bimi.yourdomain.com.

My company sends from multiple domains. Do I need separate BIMI records for each?

Yes. Each domain in your header From: address needs its own BIMI TXT record at default._bimi.<that-domain>. The same certificate URL can be referenced in multiple records, but each domain needs its own entry. If each domain also requires a VMC, each VMC must cover that specific domain's trademark.

Does the BIMI record need to be at the root domain or can it be at a subdomain?

The BIMI record must be published under the same domain that appears in the email's header From:. If emails are sent from @yourdomain.com, the record goes at default._bimi.yourdomain.com. If emails are sent from @newsletters.yourdomain.com, the record goes at default._bimi.newsletters.yourdomain.com — and the DMARC policy and authentication must also align with that subdomain.