DELIVTERMS: VMC

Time to decode another deliverability acronym. Today, we're going to talk about VMC, which stands for "Verified Mark Certificate."

A VMC is something that a domain owner will purchase to go along with their BIMI ("Brand Indicators for Message Identification") sender logo implementation. BIMI is the specification to allow a domain owner to publish details of a logo meant to show up in the inbox next to email sends from that domain. VMC is a certificate purchased from and issued by either DigiCert or Entrust. The purchase process involves either of those companies verifying that you are who you say you are, and that your logo is appropriately trademarked.

VMC is an optional add on to the BIMI specification. However, Apple and Gmail will only display BIMI logos for domains that have implemented the Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) process. No VMC means no BIMI logo in Gmail or on Apple devices.

Learn more:

• Gmail will display a blue checkmark to indicate that a sender has properly implemented BIMI (with VMC). 
• Google has a support page where they explain VMC.
• BIMI has its own DELIVTERMS page here on Spam Resource.
• My BIMI FAQ (from May 2023) covers more Q&A related to BIMI and VMC.

And of course, don't forget to check out the DELIVTERMS section here on Spam Resource, where we define the common terms used in email technology and deliverability.