What is the avp tag
avp stands for Avatar Preference, and it's an optional tag introduced in v09 of the BIMI standard. It sits alongside the more familiar tags in a BIMI TXT record, like v= (version), l= (logo location), and a= (link to the VMC/CMC). But instead of pointing to an asset, it expresses a policy choice.
What it does
Some mailbox providers let individual senders show a personal avatar (like a profile photo) next to their emails, separate from the brand logo a company publishes via BIMI. Without avp, there was no standardized way for a domain owner to say which one should win when both exist for the same sender. The avp tag resolves that by taking one of two values:
avp=personalDisplay the sender's personal avatar if available; otherwise, use the BIMI logo as a fallback.avp=brandAlways show the domain's BIMI logo, even if the sender has a personal avatar.
If the tag is omitted entirely, the default behavior is treated as avp=brand.
This is useful for organizations that want a consistent brand presence in the inbox (say, a bank or a large company), regardless of which employee's address sent the message, versus organizations that would rather let individual, more personal avatars come through.
Who supports it
avp support is narrower than BIMI support in general, because it only matters at mailbox providers that (a) support BIMI and (b) also support personal avatars in the first place. As of mid-2026:
Broad BIMI display is supported by Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL, Apple Mail/iCloud Mail, Fastmail, and several regional providers (La Poste, GMX, Web.de, Zoho Mail, and others), most of which require a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) or Common Mark Certificate (CMC) to actually render the logo.
Microsoft (Outlook, Outlook.com, Microsoft 365) does not render BIMI logos as a receiver at all, so avp is moot there for now.
Handling of the
avppreference itself is provider-specific. Providers decide independently whether and how to honor personal vs. brand, since it only applies where they support showing personal avatars in the first place. Treat it as a hint you can publish rather than a guarantee every BIMI-supporting provider will act on.
Practical notes
avp is optional, and a BIMI record works fine without it.
It does not affect whether your logo displays at all; that still depends on a DMARC pass, alignment, and a valid VMC/CMC (for most providers).
If you don't set it, assume brand behavior by default.
Adding the avp tag in Valimail Amplify
These steps apply to domains that already have BIMI set up in Amplify.
Log in to your Valimail account.
In the side menu, open the BIMI accordion, then click Amplify.
Find the domain you want to add the avp tag to and click its BIMI logo.
In the panel that opens on the right, expand the Avatar Preference drop-down menu.
Once you've made your selection, the choice is saved automatically. You can click out of that panel.