> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.armin.cx/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Sender avatars in customer inboxes

> Show a logo or profile photo next to your support emails in Gmail and other inboxes.

When customers open Gmail, Apple Mail, or Outlook, they often see a small image next to the sender name. That image is **not** controlled by Chatarmin CX. Each email client decides what to show based on your sending setup.

This page explains what you can do for the two most common Chatarmin CX email setups: **custom domain sending** and **Gmail OAuth**.

## What Chatarmin CX does not control

Chatarmin CX sets the **From name** and **From address** on outbound replies. It does **not** send an avatar image that email clients must display.

These do **not** change the sender row in the customer's inbox:

* Your organization logo in Chatarmin CX settings
* Agent initials or colors inside the Chatarmin CX inbox
* A logo or photo in the email **signature** (that only appears inside the message body)

<Warning>
  There is no toggle in Chatarmin CX that guarantees a profile picture in every mailbox. Plan around DNS, Google, or Microsoft settings instead.
</Warning>

## Choose your path

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Custom domain (DNS sending)">
    Use this when you send from your own domain (for example `support@yourbrand.com`) with DNS records at your domain host — typical for shared support addresses.

    **Best approach: BIMI**

    **BIMI** (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) tells supporting email clients to show your **brand logo** next to mail from your domain. This fits shared addresses like `support@` or `hello@` where one logo represents the whole team.

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Confirm DMARC is enforced">
        BIMI requires a DMARC policy of **quarantine** or **reject** on your sending domain. Check the DNS status shown in your [email channel settings](https://armin.cx/app/_/channels).
      </Step>

      <Step title="Prepare a BIMI-compliant logo">
        Use an **SVG** version of your brand mark. Keep it simple — square logos work best. Your marketing or design team usually owns this file.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Publish the BIMI DNS record">
        Add the BIMI **TXT** record at your domain host, pointing to the hosted SVG URL. Your DNS provider or IT team adds this alongside your existing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Wait for propagation and test">
        DNS changes can take up to 48 hours. Send a test message to a Gmail account and check whether the logo appears next to the sender name.
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    <Note>
      **Verified Mark Certificate (VMC):** Gmail and Yahoo can show BIMI logos without a VMC. **Apple Mail** typically requires one. Treat VMC as optional unless Apple Mail coverage matters for your audience.
    </Note>

    <Tip>
      BIMI is a **domain-level** brand logo, not a per-agent headshot. That matches most support teams that send from one shared address.
    </Tip>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Gmail OAuth">
    Use this when you [connect Gmail](https://armin.cx/app/_/channels) and Chatarmin CX sends through Google's servers on behalf of a Google mailbox.

    **Best approach: Google account profile photo**

    For Gmail-connected mailboxes, the avatar in the recipient's inbox usually comes from the **Google account profile photo** for that sending address — not from Chatarmin CX.

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Open the Google account for the sending address">
        Sign in to Google Admin (Workspace) or the individual Google account tied to the mailbox you send from — for example `customercare@yourbrand.com`.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Upload a profile photo">
        In Google account settings, set a clear profile photo or brand logo for that user. This is the image Gmail uses when displaying the sender to recipients.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Reconnect Gmail if needed">
        If you change the photo after connecting, [open your Gmail channel](https://armin.cx/app/_/channels) and reconnect so Chatarmin CX refreshes mailbox metadata from Google.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Send a test message">
        Email a personal Gmail address from that mailbox and confirm the photo appears in the inbox list.
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    <Note>
      Each Gmail address has its own Google profile photo. If multiple agents send from **different** Gmail mailboxes, set a photo on each account. Shared **send-as** aliases on one Gmail connection still send as that primary Google identity unless Google treats the alias separately.
    </Note>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## How email clients decide

| Client         | Common avatar source                                                        |
| -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Gmail**      | Google account photo (OAuth senders) or **BIMI** brand logo (custom domain) |
| **Apple Mail** | **BIMI** (often requires a VMC)                                             |
| **Yahoo**      | **BIMI**                                                                    |
| **Outlook**    | Often initials; Microsoft 365 directory photo when applicable               |

Coverage varies by client, account type, and whether the recipient has contacted you before.

## Troubleshooting

**Logo still not showing in Gmail after BIMI setup**

* Confirm DMARC is **quarantine** or **reject**, not `p=none`.
* Confirm the BIMI TXT record and SVG URL are reachable publicly.
* Allow up to 48 hours for DNS propagation.
* Send from the exact domain you configured — subdomains need their own records.

**Gmail OAuth sender still shows initials**

* Verify the profile photo on the **Google account** for that mailbox, not only inside Chatarmin CX.
* Reconnect the Gmail channel after updating the Google photo.
* Remember: a logo in your Chatarmin CX email signature does not affect the inbox sender row.

**We send from a shared support address on our domain**

* Use **BIMI**, not per-agent photos in Chatarmin CX. Agent avatars inside Chatarmin CX only affect your team's inbox UI.

## Related

* [Email channel setup](/channels/email/intro)
* [Email missing or wrong contact](/troubleshooting/email-ingestion)