Why breadcrumbs help
- Visitors see where they are, especially when they land on a deep page from a search.
- Search engines get extra internal links and a clear picture of the site’s hierarchy.
- Search results can show the page’s position in the site when it has BreadcrumbList structured data.
Types of breadcrumbs
- Hierarchy-based: show the page’s place in the site structure. The most common kind.
- Attribute-based: show the filters chosen in an online shop, such as Shoes › Men › Size 43.
- History-based: show the pages the visitor has viewed. Rarely used, since the back button does the same.
SEO plugins such as Rank Math and Yoast SEO can add breadcrumbs and their structured data to WordPress sites.
Breadcrumbs example
A visitor lands on a page called “Running shoes for flat feet” from a search. At the top, the breadcrumb shows Home › Shoes › Running › Running shoes for flat feet. With one click on “Running”, the visitor sees all running shoes. The page also carries BreadcrumbList structured data, so the same path can appear in the search result under the page title.
How to add breadcrumbs
- Plan a clear site structure with sensible categories.
- Show the trail near the top of each page, with every step except the current page as a link.
- Use the same names as the page titles or category names.
- Add BreadcrumbList schema markup that matches what is visible.
- Test the markup with Google’s Rich Results Test.
Breadcrumb mistakes
- Breadcrumbs that do not match the real site structure.
- Making the current page a link to itself.
- Hiding them on mobile where they would help most.
- Using markup that does not match the visible trail.
Breadcrumb FAQs
Do breadcrumbs improve rankings?
Not directly. They help visitors and crawlers understand the structure, and can change how the result looks. See user experience.
Do I need breadcrumbs on a small site?
Often not. They help most on sites with several levels, such as shops and large blogs. Read about headings and site structure.