Breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs are a navigation system used to show a user's location in a site or app.
When to use
- A hierarchy more than two levels deep, where the reader needs to know where they are and how to go up.
- A place reachable from several routes, such as a search result, where the trail is the only clue to its context.
When not to use
- A flat structure. A trail with one step tells the reader nothing.
- A linear journey such as a checkout. That is a progress tracker.
- As the only way back. Breadcrumbs supplement navigation rather than replace it.
Guidance
Do
Show the real path, with the current page last and not a link. It is where the reader already is.
Don't
Do not label the trail with generic words. Home and Page describe the structure rather than the content, which is what the reader is looking for.
Content
What to write, and what to leave out.
- Use the real names of the places, matching their page titles.
- Keep each crumb short. The trail is a glance, not a sentence.
- The last crumb is the current page and should not be a link.