Breadcrumb Navigation Best Practices

Breadcrumb Navigation Best Practices

Breadcrumb navigation is one of the simplest yet most effective user interface elements for improving both website usability and search engine optimization (SEO). When designed well, breadcrumbs provide users with a clear sense of their location within your site, while also offering search engines additional context about your content hierarchy.

What Is Breadcrumb Navigation?

Breadcrumb navigation works like a navigation system to display a user’s location within a website’s hierarchy. Typically, breadcrumbs appear near the top of a webpage, showing a trail of links that lead from the homepage to the current page.

For example:

Home > Blog > UX Design > Breadcrumb Navigation

This trail acts as a visual map, helping users orient themselves and quickly navigate to higher-level categories.

Types of Breadcrumb Navigation

There are two primary types of breadcrumb navigation worth reviewing.

#1 - Hierarchy-Based Breadcrumbs

Definition: Also called location-based breadcrumbs, these display the user’s position within the overall site structure. We recommend using this approach because it can be implemented directly in Shopify Liquid which is fully crawlable and indexable by Google.

Example: Home > Products > Shoes > Running Shoes

Best For: E-commerce stores, large content sites, or any website with a clear, multi-level structure.

Benefit: Helps users navigate back to broader categories without relying on the browser’s back button. Is fully crawlable and indexable by Google which makes it a better choice for SEO.


#2 - Path-Based Breadcrumbs

Definition: Also known as history-based breadcrumbs, these show the exact path the user took to arrive at the current page. We don’t usually recommend this approach with Shopify. It requires JavaScript, and in Shopify the JS executes after Google’s crawler has already processed the page, so it doesn’t provide any SEO benefit.

Example: Home > Search Results > Sale Items > Running Shoes

Best for: Web applications or search-heavy sites where users may encounter duplicate content through different routes. 

Benefit: Reflects the user’s unique journey, which can be helpful in specialized workflows.

How Breadcrumb Navigation Helps Users

  • Improves Orientation – Users always know their exact location on the site.
  • Reduces Click Friction – Users can jump back to higher-level pages with a single click.
  • Encourages Exploration – Visitors are more likely to browse related sections.
  • Saves Time – Especially on large sites, breadcrumbs provide shortcuts to essential categories, saving time.

In short, breadcrumb navigation makes websites more intuitive and user-friendly.

Breadcrumb Navigation and SEO

Breadcrumb navigation isn’t just helpful for users—it also has clear SEO benefits:

  • Improved Site Structure for Crawlers – Breadcrumbs create links that help search engines understand your content.
  • Keyword Optimization – Breadcrumb anchor text can reinforce essential keywords (e.g., “Running Shoes” linking back to the main category).
  • Reduced Bounce Rate – By giving visitors easy pathways to related pages, breadcrumbs encourage them to stay longer.
  • Enhanced Search Results – When you use breadcrumb schema, Google often displays breadcrumb trails directly in the search results, replacing long URLs with clean, structured navigation paths.

Best Practices for Breadcrumb Navigation

  • Always start with “Home.” It provides a reliable anchor point.
  • Use clear, keyword-rich labels. Avoid generic names like “Page” or “Category.”
  • Keep it short. Breadcrumbs should be concise and not overwhelm users.
  • Make each level clickable. Every step in the trail should link back.
  • Place breadcrumbs consistently. Typically, they appear just below the header but above the page title.
  • Use schema markup. Ensure search engines recognize your breadcrumbs.
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