The breadcrumb (or fil d'ariane) is the navigation path displayed at the top of a page: Home > Shoes > Trail > Salomon XT-6. It tells users where they are in the site hierarchy and provides Google with internal links and BreadcrumbList schema for rich snippet display.
BreadcrumbList schema implementation
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "BreadcrumbList",
"itemListElement": [
{ "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://example.com" },
{ "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Trail Shoes", "item": "https://example.com/collections/trail-shoes" },
{ "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Salomon XT-6" }
]
}The last item (current page) typically does not need an item URL — it is the current page itself.
Rich snippet in results
With BreadcrumbList schema, Google replaces the URL below your title with a readable path: "example.com > Trail Shoes > Salomon". Clearer context, better CTR.
Internal PageRank distribution
Each breadcrumb level is an internal link. The path transfers PageRank from the product page up to the category and homepage — reinforcing the whole hierarchy.
User experience
Users can navigate up the hierarchy with one click. Fewer exits to the homepage, more pages visited per session — positive engagement signals.
| Configuration | SERP display | SEO benefit |
|---|---|---|
| No breadcrumb | Full URL displayed | None |
| Visual breadcrumb, no schema | Full URL displayed | Internal links only |
| Visual breadcrumb + BreadcrumbList | Path displayed in results | Internal links + rich snippet |
Validate your BreadcrumbList schema at search.google.com/test/rich-results. The most common error is a missing
item URL on intermediate breadcrumb levels — all positions except the last must include an absolute URL.Implement breadcrumbs at scale
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FAQ
"Fil d'ariane" is the French term for breadcrumb — both refer to the same navigation element. In SEO and structured data, the English term "BreadcrumbList" is the schema.org type used in all international documentation.