# Breadcrumb schema

Category: [Structured Data & SERP Features](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/structured-data-serp-features/) › [Schema types](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/structured-data-serp-features/schema-types/) · Also known as: BreadcrumbList

**Breadcrumb schema** is `BreadcrumbList` structured data that describes where a page sits in the site hierarchy. Google can show this path in the search result instead of the plain URL.

## How is it built?

A `BreadcrumbList` needs an `itemListElement` array of `ListItem` objects with at least two entries. Each `ListItem` needs a `position` starting at 1 and a `name`. The `item` property holds the URL; for the last item it is optional, and Google then uses the URL of the containing page.

Google says the trail should reflect typical user navigation paths rather than mirror the URL structure. A page reachable through several paths can carry several `BreadcrumbList` objects. Google lists the feature as available on desktop.

## Example

```html
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
  "itemListElement": [
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Shoes", "item": "https://example.com/shoes/" },
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Trail running" }
  ]
}
</script>
```

## At a glance

- **Format:** JSON-LD, RDFa or Microdata
- **Where:** in the HTML of the page
- **Vocabulary:** BreadcrumbList with ListItem
- **Rich result:** Breadcrumb trail in the search result, available on desktop according to the docs
- **Test with:** Rich Results Test
- **Docs:** [Google: Breadcrumb structured data](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/breadcrumb)

Last checked: October 8, 2026

## Related terms

- [Breadcrumb navigation](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/breadcrumb-navigation/index.md)
- [JSON-LD](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/json-ld/index.md)
- [Schema.org](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/schema-org/index.md)
- [Schema Markup Validator](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/schema-markup-validator/index.md)
- [Rich results](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/rich-results/index.md)
- [Sitelinks](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/sitelinks/index.md)
- [Structured data](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/structured-data/index.md)

## Sources

- [Breadcrumb structured data – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/breadcrumb)
- [BreadcrumbList – schema.org](https://schema.org/BreadcrumbList)
- [Search Central Updates (breadcrumbs desktop only, Jan 22, 2025)](https://developers.google.com/search/updates)

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Last updated: October 8, 2026
URL: https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/breadcrumb-schema/