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What is a Breadcrumb Navigation?
Breadcrumb navigation is a secondary navigation system that shows a user’s location within a site’s hierarchy, typically displayed as a horizontal list of links.
Why Breadcrumb Navigation matters?
Breadcrumbs improve usability by allowing visitors to backtrack easily to higher-level pages. In ecommerce, they help customers navigate between categories, subcategories, and product pages without starting from the homepage. This reduces friction and encourages more product discovery.
How Breadcrumb Navigation works?
Breadcrumbs display the path from the homepage to the current page, with each step clickable. They can be location-based, path-based, or attribute-based depending on site structure. Search engines also use breadcrumb markup to enhance search result snippets.
Example in ecommerce
An electronics store uses breadcrumb navigation like “Home > Laptops > Gaming Laptops > Product Name.” This makes it easy for shoppers to return to the broader “Gaming Laptops” category and explore other options.
Common mix-ups
Breadcrumbs are not a replacement for the primary navigation menu; they are a supplemental aid.
Best practices
- Keep breadcrumb paths clear and concise.
- Make each step a clickable link.
- Use schema markup for SEO benefits.
- Position breadcrumbs consistently near the top of pages.
- Ensure they are mobile-friendly and not overly long.
Industry benchmarks
- Adding breadcrumbs can increase category page views by 5 to 15 percent.
Related terms
Mega Menu Navigation
Collection Page
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