Display your logo in every inbox, no trademark required
A Common Mark Certificate (CMC) lets your organization show its established brand logo directly in the email sender field, all you need is a domain and a logo that’s been in active use for at least 12 months.
Buy Common Mark Certificates (CMC)
1. Select duration
Do you have a registered trademark? If your logo is formally registered with a recognized trademark office, you may qualify for a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC), which provides a higher level of authentication and broader email client support.
Brand recognition in the inbox: without a registered trademark
A CMC is a digital certificate that verifies your organization has established common-law rights to a logo through active use, and is authorized to display it in email clients that support BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification). Unlike a VMC, a CMC does not require a registered trademark: it relies on demonstrated, continuous use of your logo on an owned domain.
Key Benefits
What you need before applying
1
12 months of logo use
Your logo must have been in active, continuous use on a domain you own for at least 12 months. No trademark required.
2
DMARC enforcement
Your sending domain must have DMARC configured at
p=quarantine or p=reject3
SVG logo (Tiny P/S)
Your logo must conform to SVG Tiny P/S format for BIMI. SSL.com advises on conversion and automatically hosts your BIMI SVG at bimi.ssl.com when the certificate is issued.
4
BIMI DNS record
A BIMI TXT record added to your domain’s DNS after issuance. SSL.com provides your hosted SVG URL and the exact record — no need to separately host your logo file.
Do you have a registered trademark? If your logo is formally registered with a recognized trademark office, you may qualify for a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC): which provides a higher level of authentication and broader email client support.
From purchase to logo in inbox: 5 steps
1
Purchase
Select your CMC duration and complete your order.
2
Submit logo & domain evidence
Provide your SVG logo and evidence of continuous logo use on your domain for at least 12 months via the SSL.com portal.
3
Validation
SSL.com verifies your organization identity and confirms qualifying logo use on your domain: typically 3–5 business days.
4
Certificate issued
Receive your CMC, your SSL.com-hosted BIMI SVG URL at bimi.ssl.com, and your BIMI DNS record — ready to publish.
5
Go live
Add the BIMI DNS record to your domain: your verified logo starts appearing in supported inboxes.
Compliance & Standards
BIMI Standard
Built on the Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) specification maintained by the AuthIndicators Working Group: the standard adopted across major mailbox providers.
BIMI Group: CMC Guidelines
SSL.com issues CMCs in accordance with the BIMI Group Common Mark Certificate Guidelines
WebTrust for CAs Audit
SSL.com is audited annually by BDO under the WebTrust for Certificate Authorities program: the continuous independent assurance required for Mark Certificate issuance.
Domain Ownership Verification
SSL.com verifies domain ownership and confirms qualifying 12-month logo use as part of the CMC issuance process
Frequently asked questions
Gmail and Apple Mail currently support BIMI logo display, note that some clients, including Gmail, may require a VMC rather than a CMC for logo display. Fastmail also supports BIMI with a CMC. Yahoo Mail supports BIMI logo display but does not currently require any Mark Certificate for logos to appear in Yahoo applications. Check current BIMI provider documentation for the latest compatibility.
Your logo must have been continuously displayed on a domain you own for at least 12 months. Evidence typically includes website history, archived pages, marketing materials, or other documentation showing uninterrupted use.
A CMC is based on established common-law use of your logo (12+ months on an owned domain) and does not require a trademark. A VMC requires a registered trademark but provides a higher level of authentication and broader email client support. If you have a registered trademark, a VMC is recommended.
CMC validation typically takes 3–5 business days, depending on the completeness of your logo use documentation.
No, CMCs are domain-specific. Each sending domain requires its own certificate.
Related products
VMC (Verified Mark Certificate)
Choose VMC if you have a registered trademark: higher authentication level, broader client support across all BIMI-enabled mailbox providers including Gmail’s Verified Sender marks.
GMC (Government Mark Certificate)
GMC (Government Mark Certificate), for government agencies requiring authenticated logo display under enabling legislation rather than trademark registration. Supported in 30+ countries.
OV S/MIME
Complement CMC with Organization Validated S/MIME for organization-signed email from functional addresses: verified logo plus verified organizational sender identity.
