Add BreadcrumbList structured data

BreadcrumbList markup mirrors the visible breadcrumb and gives Google the page hierarchy. Each ListItem needs position, name and item URL, ordered from home to the current page. Generate the markup from the same route data that renders the trail so the two cannot drift.

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Why this matters

Mirror the visible trail, not an invented hierarchy.

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Before you start

  • A visible breadcrumb component
  • Route hierarchy data

How to apply it

  1. Map the trail from route data

    Build a list of crumbs from the same source that renders the breadcrumb UI: parent labels and absolute URLs, ending with the current page.

    Check: The generated crumb array matches the visible breadcrumb labels and order.

  2. Emit ListItem entries in order

    Add a BreadcrumbList itemListElement array with position starting at 1, name and item for each crumb. Keep JSON valid and URLs absolute.

    Check: The JSON-LD parses and positions are sequential with no gaps.

  3. Validate and check display

    Run the Rich Results Test on a deep page and confirm the breadcrumb is eligible. Recheck after navigation changes.

    Check: The Rich Results Test reports BreadcrumbList with no errors for a level-three page.

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Source: seo-mcp playbook · curated entry · report an error

Framework notes

nextjs-app

Render the JSON-LD in the page or a shared `Breadcrumbs` server component, deriving crumbs from the route segments and CMS labels.

shopify

Build the trail from `collection` and `product` objects in the theme, and avoid hardcoded labels that drift from the visible breadcrumb.

Official references

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