If you are looking for a way to make your WordPress website easier to navigate, then we recommend adding breadcrumb links.
Breadcrumb navigation tells users where they are on a website relative to the homepage. This breadcrumb trail is then also displayed in search results, which makes your website stand out.
Breadcrumb navigation helps users navigate around your website and helps search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of links on a web page.
Having said that, let’s take a look at how to add breadcrumb navigation links in WordPress. We will show you two methods, and you can choose the one that works best for you:
This method is easier and recommended for all WordPress users.
For this method, we will be using All in One SEO for WordPress, which is the best WordPress SEO plugin on the market. It helps you easily improve your WordPress SEO without any technical skills. It also comes with an easy-to-use breadcrumbs feature.
However, if you want to display breadcrumb navigation links on your website, too, then you need to turn on the ‘Enable Breadcrumbs’ option.
1. Adding Breadcrumb Navigation Using the Shortcode
The shortcode method is easy and allows you to display breadcrumb navigation links in your WordPress posts and pages or product pages on your online store.
Simply edit the post, page, or product and add the following shortcode where you want to display the breadcrumb navigation trail:
Now, if you don’t want to use the shortcode option or don’t remember the shortcode, then you can display breadcrumb navigation by using the AIOSEO – Breadcrumbs block.
The above two methods require you to add a shortcode or block in every post or page where you want to display breadcrumb navigation links.
What if you wanted to display breadcrumbs automatically for each post or page?
The AIOSEO Breadcrumbs widget allows you to easily do that.
4. Adding Breadcrumb Navigation Using Code
This method allows you to display breadcrumbs navigation links exactly where you want them. However, it requires you to add code to your WordPress theme files.
If you haven’t done this before, then don’t forget to see our article on how to add code snippets in WordPress.
First, you need to decide where to display the breadcrumb links. The most common place is below the individual post, page, or product title.
WordPress themes use template files to display different sections of your website. For instance, many themes use a file called located inside the folder of your theme.
See our cheat sheet to find which files to edit in a WordPress theme.
After that, you need to edit your theme file using an FTP client. See our guide on how to use FTP to upload files to WordPress for instructions.
Then, place the following code where you want to display the breadcrumb navigation links:
Don’t forget to save your changes and upload the file back to your website.
Once finished, don’t forget to store your settings.
This method can be used with any other WordPress SEO plugin. It’s easy to use if you have a compatible theme, but if you don’t, then you’ll need to edit your theme files to display your breadcrumb navigation links.
The first thing you need to do is install and activate the Breadcrumb NavXT plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
The settings page is divided into different sections. On the general settings tab, you can change the style and settings of your breadcrumbs.
You will also notice that these link templates use Schema.org markup in the link tag.
Don’t forget to save your changes when done.
Breadcrumb NavXT offers multiple ways to display breadcrumb navigation links on your website.
1. Display Breadcrumb Navigation with Theme Support
Some of the most popular WordPress themes come with a built-in option to display breadcrumb navigation by choosing Breadcrumb NavXT or your WordPress SEO plugin as the source.
For instance, if you are using Astra, then you can go to the Appearance » Customize page and click on the ‘Breadcrumbs’ menu.
From there, you’ll choose where you want your breadcrumbs to be displayed in the ‘Header Position’ dropdown.
Don’t forget to click on the ‘Publish’ button to save your changes.
2. Display Navigation Links With Breadcrumb Trail Block
You can also display the breadcrumbs navigational links by using the Breadcrumb Trail block.
The plugin also provides a widget that you can use to display breadcrumb navigation in the sidebar or any widget-ready area.
Don’t forget to click on the ‘Update’ button to store your widget settings.
4. Adding Breadcrumb Navigation Using Code
The plugin also offers a code method to display breadcrumb navigation links for advanced users.
First, you need to connect to your WordPress site using an FTP client. After that, navigate to your current WordPress theme folder located inside the directory.
WordPress themes use template files to display different sections of your website. For instance, many themes use a file called located inside the of your theme.
See our cheat sheet to find which files to edit in a WordPress theme.
Open the template file to edit it, and then place the following code where you want to display the breadcrumbs trail:
Don’t forget to save your changes and upload the file back to your website.