How do I get an icon in Google Inbox?

Question

I receive e-mails from various senders, and when I view them in Google Inbox, either on inbox.google.com, or on the Android App, some have an icon in a circle next to them... others just have a letter.

BitBucket, for example, has a nice icon when they send me an e-mail:

The question:

Does Google Inbox fetch this picture with some kind of G+ magic, or are certain e-mail headers involved here?

How do I implement this in my own solutions when sending out e-mails?

Answer 1

ReturnPath has a detailed blog post about how they did it: https://blog.returnpath.com/creating-profile-image-gmail-subscribers/

Highlights from their post excerpted below:

1. Because our reply-to email address was set up as an alias for people to email ... we had to turn that reply-to email address into an actual [Google] account.
2. Add logo as profile picture for Google Account.
3. Ensure that your DMARC record is built.
4. If in doubt, talk to your ESP.

I am part of Stack Overflow Marketing department; we haven't tried this yet, but it is on my email to-do list.

Answer 2

According to MarketingLand.com

Display Your Logo As The From: Address

One of the great things about the new Inbox by Google is that it is more visual. The sender of an email is displayed by an icon rather than a plain text From: address. This is similar to Gmail’s Grid View and works by:

1. Having a verified Google+ business account
2. Authenticating with SPF and DKIM
3. Registering with Google

Answer 3

The official solution is to reference a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) in your BIMI record. This handles all of your email addresses at once. Your logo needs to be registered as a trademark, and you will need to purchase a VMC from DigiCert or Entrust. The cost to register a trademark is roughly $660, plus attorney fees, and the cost to purchase a VMC is $1,499 per year.

However, there is a free alternative solution for anyone who can't afford a VMC.

1. Create a Google account with your company's email address.
2. Change the profile picture to your company's logo.
3. Wait up to 48 hours for the logo to become visible in the inbox.

Do not create the Google account using the "To manage my business" option. This account type isn't able to change its profile picture, and the account type can't be changed after its created.

For everyone else:
First, you will need complete the BIMI specification. Then, you will need to complete any additional requirements that each email service provider may have to display the logo in their inbox. This tutorial walks you through the process and explains everything you need to know.