What Is a Common Mark Certificate (CMC)?

A Common Mark Certificate (CMC) is a new type of BIMI certificate that verifies a domain’s ownership of the logo to be displayed inside inboxes. This certificate provides verification to an inbox provider (Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, etc.) that the logo image you want to use for BIMI has been in use for some time and that the domain is associated with a legitimate business. Once the certificate has been acquired, it can be added to your BIMI record in the a tag (Authority Evidence Location tag). With that in place, inboxes that see your email will:

1. Look up your BIMI record via DNS.
2. Find the l tag URL.
3. Verify the certificate is valid.

If all of those actions are successful, your company’s logo will appear next to the “sender” field in recipient inboxes. With Google announcing it now supports the CMC option, you have another way to help protect your sender reputation and overall brand.

Common Mark Certificate (CMC) vs. Verified Mark Certificate (VMC)

The CMC is the newer “sister” certificate to a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) and is aimed at senders who: 1) Want to implement BIMI and 2) Don’t have a trademarked logo. During the approval process for a VMC, you must provide proof that the logo to be used is an approved trademark. Since the trademarking process can be expensive and sometimes long, many smaller businesses avoid the process, but still want to adopt BIMI.

If your business doesn’t have the required registered trademark (or money) for a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC), a CMC could be a better option. CMCs are easier to acquire, so more senders can utilize BIMI, which is great news for business email in general.

If you choose the CMC option, it’ll bring increased visibility and legitimacy to your messages as soon as they’re delivered. Your brand’s selected logo will appear next to the “sender” field in recipient inboxes and can be seen before the email is opened. By adding another layer of security and credibility to your emails, this CMC progression helps protect your brand and improves your customers’ experience.

Our blog post provides more information about CMCs.

Learn More about Delivery Center Need DMARC Help?

Key Differences Between CMC and VMC for BIMI

• A VMC requires a trademarked logo, whereas a CMC only requires 12 months of logo usage.
• The validation process for a CMC is easier to obtain and avoids aforementioned logo trademarking obstacles.
• VMCs display a blue BIMI verified checkmark and your brand’s logo, but CMCs show only your specified logo.
• A CMC helps with credibility and authenticity of your messages, but a VMC with a trademarked logo included offers more recognition and brand trust.

How Do I Get a Common Mark Certificate (CMC)?

To complete the CMC validation process, you must meet the following requirements:

• All of your sending domains must be DMARC compliant (p=quarantine or reject).
• Your company’s logo (image file) must have been in use for one year.
• The logo file used for your CMC certificate must be an SVG type.
• You apply for a CMC through a provider/certificate authority.

To help your business achieve CMC approval, MxToolbox Managed Services is at your fingertips. Customers have access to our expert team with a combined 30+ years of email knowledge that can guide you through adopting DMARC, BIMI, and other email best practices.