The Blue Checkmark in Gmail
That blue checkmark in Gmail is a certificate, and we install it
It is not a setting you switch on. It requires your email authentication at full enforcement, your logo in a specific vector format, and a certificate from one of only three authorities on earth.
- Our fee
- $2,497one-time setup, certificate billed separately by the authority
- Platform cost
- Certificate $749 to $1,416 per year, paid to the authority directly.
- Typical timeline
- 6 to 10 weeks from scratch. 1 to 2 weeks if your email is already at enforcement.
Why this is harder than it looks
Customers increasingly cannot tell your email from a phishing attempt, and phishers keep getting better. The checkmark is one of the few signals Gmail shows that an impersonator cannot forge, because it is backed by a registered trademark and a real certificate authority that verifies you are you.
What we do
- SPF, DKIM, and DMARC taken all the way to enforcement
- Your logo converted to SVG Tiny P/S, the exact format the certificate requires
- Certificate ordered and shepherded through validation with DigiCert, GlobalSign, or SSL.com
- BIMI record published and confirmed with a live inbox test
- Apple Branded Mail configured, free, showing your logo in Apple Mail
- Yahoo logo display set up at no extra cost
- Renewal tracked, because certificates expire every 397 days
What we need from you
We ask for these up front so nothing stalls halfway through. Items marked required have to be in hand before we can start.
- A registered trademark of your logoRequired
- Registered, not pending, at an accepted trademark office, and owned by the same legal entity. Without one, the certificate route gets you the logo but not the check.
- Your logo in vector formatRequired
- AI, EPS, SVG, or PDF. The certificate logo has to match the registered trademark exactly.
- Business registration detailsRequired
- Legal entity name, registration number, and a publicly listed phone number.
- Every tool that sends email as your domainRequired
- Your marketing platform, helpdesk, invoicing, scheduling, anything that puts your domain in the From line.
- DNS accessRequired
- Delegated access at your registrar, or you paste the records we send on a screen share.
- An officer for the identity checkRequired
- Someone with a real title at your company: CEO, owner, director, department head.
The steps only you can take
A few things genuinely cannot be delegated, because the platform requires the business owner personally. We schedule these, prepare you for them, and stay on the call.
- Complete the certificate authority identity check, a short video call holding your ID or a notary visit. The authority requires an officer of your company, so nobody can stand in for you.
- Answer the verification callback and sign the subscriber agreement.
- Approve the final logo proof before we submit, because it cannot be changed afterward.
What we will not promise
- Outlook displays no logos at all today, regardless of certificate. We say so up front rather than after you pay.
- Only a Verified Mark Certificate earns the check. A Common Mark Certificate shows your logo without it.
- Trademark registration takes 6 to 18 months if you do not have one. We will refer you and revisit.
Common questions
What is the blue checkmark in Gmail?
It is Gmail showing that your sending domain holds a Verified Mark Certificate, which means a certificate authority checked that your logo is a registered trademark actually owned by your company. It is not a subscription and it cannot be bought as a badge on its own.
Can I get the checkmark without a registered trademark?
No. The checkmark specifically requires a Verified Mark Certificate, and that requires a registered trademark. You can get your logo shown in Gmail without one through a Common Mark Certificate, which is a genuinely good outcome, but it does not come with the check.
Why does my logo not show in Outlook?
Outlook does not display BIMI logos at all right now, for anyone. This is a limitation of Microsoft's mail clients rather than something wrong with your setup, and no vendor can change it.
More on the full FAQ page.
Everything we have written about this
We publish what we know, in full, for free. If you would rather do this yourself, start here.
- ArticleVMC or CMC: Which Certificate Does Your Business Actually Need?Two certificates can put your logo in the inbox, and only one of them earns the blue checkmark in Gmail. Here is how to tell which one you qualify for, what each actually costs, and when the right answer is to buy neither.
- GuideHow to Get the Blue Checkmark in GmailGmail's blue checkmark needs BIMI, DMARC at enforcement, an SVG Tiny PS logo, and a Verified Mark Certificate. Real costs, timelines, and failure modes.