Breadcrumb structured data
JSON-LD that tells search engines the Home > Category > Page path, so a result can show a readable trail instead of a raw URL.
See it
What it is
Breadcrumb structured data is schema.org BreadcrumbList markup that spells out a page's place in a hierarchy. Each ListItem gets a position, a readable name, and usually an item URL: Home, Books, Science Fiction. Search engines can use that trail in a result instead of displaying a long or cryptic URL.
Add it to sites with real hierarchy, especially shops, documentation, publishers, and directories. JSON-LD is the cleanest implementation: generate it from the same route or category data that renders the visible breadcrumb, then validate the result with Google's Rich Results Test. One source of truth keeps names and destinations from drifting.
Gotcha: the markup does not create information architecture. A made-up trail can validate while sending people to empty categories or paths the page never displays. Keep the sequence representative of a normal user path, use absolute canonical URLs, number positions from 1 without gaps, and remember that valid markup only creates eligibility. Google still decides whether to show the breadcrumb.
Ask AI for it
Add schema.org BreadcrumbList JSON-LD to every page with a real hierarchy. Generate itemListElement from the same data as the visible <nav aria-label='Breadcrumb'>, with one ListItem per level and position values starting at 1. Give each item a name and an absolute canonical item URL, including the current page. Emit the object in a <script type='application/ld+json'> block, escape serialized data safely, and prevent duplicate blocks during client navigation. Provide one rendered example and verify it with Google's Rich Results Test and the Schema.org validator.