Breadcrumb (or breadcrumb trail) is a small navigation path — usually near the top of a page — that shows your place in the site hierarchy, like Home › Blog › SEO tips.
It helps people orient themselves and move up a level without hunting through menus. Search engines also use breadcrumbs as clues about structure, which supports clear web architecture and usability. Many sites mark them up with structured data so they can appear in search results.
A real-life example of a breadcrumb
You’re deep in an e-commerce catalog: Home › Shoes › Running › Model X. One click on “Running” takes you back to the category. That’s the Hansel-and-Gretel idea applied to the web — a trail so you don’t get lost.
Breadcrumbs don’t replace a good menu, but they reduce friction on deep sites. Pair them with a logical sitemap and clear internal links. For structure tips, see Website Architecture: How to Structure Your Site.