Breadcrumbs infographic: a trail copying URL folders versus one following how people browse, a BreadcrumbList markup checklist (BreadcrumbList, position, name, item), a note that Google shows breadcrumbs in desktop results only since January 2025, and three steps on what to do.

Oct 6, 2026

Breadcrumbs for SEO: Markup and the Mobile Change (Infographic)

Do breadcrumbs still matter for SEO? What BreadcrumbList structured data needs, why trails should follow how people browse, and the 2025 change to mobile results.

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<a href="https://searchinsider.io/infographics/breadcrumbs"><img src="https://searchinsider.io/research/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs-infographic.png" alt="Breadcrumbs infographic: a trail copying URL folders versus one following how people browse, a BreadcrumbList markup checklist (BreadcrumbList, position, name, item), a note that Google shows breadcrumbs in desktop results only since January 2025, and three steps on what to do." style="max-width:680px;width:100%;height:auto;" /></a><p>Source: <a href="https://searchinsider.io/infographics/breadcrumbs">Breadcrumbs infographic</a> by Search Insider.</p>

Do breadcrumbs still matter for SEO?

The short answer: Yes. Breadcrumbs show where a page sits in your site and help people explore it. Mark them up with BreadcrumbList structured data. Since January 2025, Google shows breadcrumbs in desktop results only.

Based on Google Search Central.

What it shows

A breadcrumb trail shows a page's position in the site hierarchy and can help users explore a site.
BreadcrumbList needs at least two ListItems, each with position, name and item (item is optional on the last one).
Google recommends trails that represent a typical user path, not a mirror of the URL structure.
A page can have multiple breadcrumb trails.
Since January 2025, breadcrumbs appear in desktop search results only.

What to do

On site: Show a visible trail on deep pages.
Markup: Add BreadcrumbList matching the visible trail.
Structure: Follow how people browse.

The walkthrough

What are breadcrumbs in SEO?

A breadcrumb trail indicates a page's position in the site hierarchy and may help users understand and explore a site ^[1]. Google can show breadcrumbs from BreadcrumbList structured data in search results ^[1].

What does BreadcrumbList markup need?

A BreadcrumbList with at least two ListItems in itemListElement ^[1]. Each ListItem needs position (1 is the start of the trail), name and item, the URL; item isn't required on the last breadcrumb ^[1].

Should breadcrumbs match the URL structure?

No. Google recommends breadcrumbs that represent a typical user path to a page, instead of mirroring the URL structure ^[1]. If people reach a page several ways, you can specify multiple trails ^[1].

Does Google still show breadcrumbs on mobile?

No. Since January 2025, Google shows breadcrumbs in desktop results only, because they were getting truncated on smaller screens ^[2]. The breadcrumb feature remains available on desktop in all regions and languages ^[1].

Sources

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