In this article we will explore did you know blue verified checks are coming to Gmail? Learn here. On 3rd May 2023, Google Workspace announced the blue verification check marks for incoming emails in Gmail. This feature is an expanded version of Gmail security with BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification). With the help of this feature, recipients can see a blue checkmark icon beside the senders’ logo.
The reason behind implementing this facility is to impose stronger email authentication for the users and identify legitimate senders. Thus, it helps the email security system protect your emails from impersonators and spammers. In this way, the senders gain brand trust, and the recipients get trustworthy email resources. Therefore, the overall experience for the email ecosystem improves.
In this write-up, you will learn about how the blue verified checks are coming to Gmail.
Create blue verified checks for your Gmail account
Before learning the setup for the blue checkmark in Gmail, you should know that only the Admins can perform the setup procedures. There is no setting to perform on the users’ side. But this feature is visible to every Google Workspace user. Now, let’s learn about the configuration to enable this feature:
- Setup DMARC first
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is an email authentication method for ensuring your outgoing emails don't get marked as spamming activities. Sometimes a receiving server gets an email from your organization, but the email doesn't pass the authentication requirements.
At that time, DMARC states to the receiving server what action is required to protect you from any further scamming activity. This authentication process always works with SPF and DKIM. Thus, Google Workspace uses this authentication with two other authentication methods – SPF and DKIM.
To enable DMARC for BIMI, you should fulfill the following record values:
It's necessary to set your DMARC policy option (p) either quarantine or reject. The percent option (pct) value for DMARC should be 100. This value applies to all outgoing emails from your domain. Learn Help prevent spoofing and spam with DMARC to know the details. Once you enable DMARC for your domain, you will get the following benefits:
- It makes spoofing and phishing activities harder for impersonators or hackers. They can't target your recipient's email services easily.
- It enhances visibility over the sent and received emails through your domain.
- This policy allows a prominent insight into the frequency and type of attacks when they target your domain.
- DMARC delivers your emails reliably without any loopholes.
Set up BIMI
The BIMI helps to display your business logo within the recipients' inboxes when you send a message to them. Thus the recipients see the brand logo next to the sent messages from your organization. This BIMI requires authentication by DMARC to protect your organization's reputation from attackers. Hence, when the users receive your emails, trust your business's authenticity.
You need the sign-in information of your domain provider to turn on the BIMI. So first, you should identify your domain provider and get your domain name. It uses a DNS record to connect the domain name with email and other web services. But if your domain has an existing BIMI, then check the BIMI record and image with the BIMI Inspector tool.
Employ your brand logo
Next, you should create your BIMI brand logo to authenticate your brand's identity with the blue checkmark. You need to create this logo in Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format. But your logo should meet the following BIMI brand logo requirements –
- The logo format should be SVG Tiny Portable/Secure.
- The base profile attribute should be tiny ps.
- The version attribute requires 1.2
- You must include your business name in the <title> element.
Also, you should obey the additional requirements, such as –
- The logo must have a square shape and colored background.
- Dimension: 96 x 96
- File size: 32 KB or smaller
- You need to include a description element <desc> in your logo.
These requirements make your logo properly visible to the users' inbox and help to pass it through the security checkups. Then create your logo with Adobe Illustrator and upload it to the public web server. But this web server should stay within a similar domain to your outgoing email server, where you enabled the BIMI.
Get the VMC
The Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) is a digital certificate for your brand logo. It verifies that your business has the legal ownership to hold your brand logo. A VMC protects your logo so that spammers and illegal sources can't be able to use it. Moreover, it also protects your users from phishing and spoofing attacks. You will get the VMC from a certificate authority like DigiCert or Entrust.
Before getting the VMC, you should acquire a registered trademark for your brand logo. You will get this trademark from the intellectual property office by the VMC issuers. You can visit the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) website to find out whether your logo has an activated registered trademark or not. Then, request your VMC to the certificate authority. You will receive an email with the entity certificate after the approval of the VMC request. This certificate is a Privacy Enhanced Mail (PEM) file. You have to upload this file to your public web server and save the URL of the file.
You will achieve the following benefits during email marketing –
- The engagement rate increases by 10% for your emails. The VMC also improves the visibility and recall of your emails.
- Your customers can see your brand logo with your emails instead of the default logos.
- It makes your brand easily recognizable from the crowd.
Include BIMI TXT record for your domain
The BIMI record is a text line. It includes the URL of your brand logo and the VMC PEM files. So, first, create your BIMI record. Then, include the DNS TXT record for your BIMI with your domain provider. The steps for adding the DNS TXT vary from different providers. To add the DNS TXT record, you need to enter the values for the fields – Host, TTL, and Value from the DNS records of your domain provider.
BIMI issues and their solutions
Sometimes the recipients may not see your business logo in their inboxes.
Recommended solutions:
- Ensure your recipient's email client supports BIMI.
- Check the status and certificate authority of your VMC.
- Check whether the PEM file for your VMC is accessible on the public web server.
- Ensure that the SVG file of your brand logo meets the requirements for the BIMI image.
- Make sure the SVG file is accessible on your public server.
The sent messages from your business may go to the spam folder of the recipients.
Recommended solutions:
- Ensure you have a proper DMARC setup for your domain.
- Also, check that the DMARC is set up with the correct BIMI values.
Learn more from the Troubleshoot BIMI issues.
Foresight the game changer
Foresight is a powerful automation platform that builds automation for Google Workspace use cases without coding. It helps the Admin and users to create automation on Admin Console, Gmail, Docs, Sheets, etc. Foresight sends real-time alerts to notify whether the automation rule has a successful construction or not.
There, you can automate your business process with a few clicks. You just need to set up a trigger and some actions for building your automation rule for business. The Admin efficiently streamlines the business use cases for devices, OUs, users, and groups. The users can set up rules for Google services. In this way, Foresight eliminates the necessity of the manual regular manual tasks and enhances productivity. You can learn these use cases of Foresight – Bulk Add Members To Google Group Using Foresight, etc.
Conclusion
The blue checkmark establishes your brand's identity and reputation to Gmail users. It prevents your organization's outgoing emails from going to spam and enables better security for the recipients. Setting up blue checkmarks is a lengthy process. Our goal is to simplify the process for you here. So, learn this blog with Foresight and check out its use cases. Try a 14-day free trial and enter the world of no-code automation. Read the related topics, also – Define your DMARC record, etc.
