Breadcrumb Schema for WordPress Without Plugins

Breadcrumb Schema for WordPress Without Plugins

Add BreadcrumbList structured data to your WordPress site so Google displays breadcrumb navigation trails in search results instead of plain URLs. This improves click-through rates and helps users understand your site structure.

Complete Breadcrumb Schema Generator

/**
 * Output BreadcrumbList JSON-LD Schema
 * Automatically detects page type and builds breadcrumb trail
 */
function wp_breadcrumb_schema_jsonld() {
    if ( is_front_page() ) {
        return; // No breadcrumbs on homepage
    }

    $breadcrumbs = [];
    $position    = 1;

    // Home is always the first item
    $breadcrumbs[] = [
        '@type'    => 'ListItem',
        'position' => $position++,
        'name'     => 'Home',
        'item'     => home_url( '/' ),
    ];

    if ( is_singular( 'post' ) ) {
        // Blog > Category > Post
        $categories = get_the_category();
        if ( ! empty( $categories ) ) {
            $primary_cat   = $categories[0];
            $breadcrumbs[] = [
                '@type'    => 'ListItem',
                'position' => $position++,
                'name'     => $primary_cat->name,
                'item'     => get_category_link( $primary_cat->term_id ),
            ];
        }

        $breadcrumbs[] = [
            '@type'    => 'ListItem',
            'position' => $position++,
            'name'     => get_the_title(),
            'item'     => get_permalink(),
        ];

    } elseif ( is_page() ) {
        // Handle nested pages (parent > child)
        global $post;
        $ancestors = array_reverse( get_post_ancestors( $post->ID ) );

        foreach ( $ancestors as $ancestor_id ) {
            $breadcrumbs[] = [
                '@type'    => 'ListItem',
                'position' => $position++,
                'name'     => get_the_title( $ancestor_id ),
                'item'     => get_permalink( $ancestor_id ),
            ];
        }

        $breadcrumbs[] = [
            '@type'    => 'ListItem',
            'position' => $position++,
            'name'     => get_the_title(),
            'item'     => get_permalink(),
        ];

    } elseif ( is_category() ) {
        $term          = get_queried_object();
        $breadcrumbs[] = [
            '@type'    => 'ListItem',
            'position' => $position++,
            'name'     => $term->name,
            'item'     => get_category_link( $term->term_id ),
        ];

    } elseif ( is_tag() ) {
        $term          = get_queried_object();
        $breadcrumbs[] = [
            '@type'    => 'ListItem',
            'position' => $position++,
            'name'     => $term->name,
            'item'     => get_tag_link( $term->term_id ),
        ];

    } elseif ( is_singular() ) {
        // Custom post types
        $post_type     = get_post_type_object( get_post_type() );
        $breadcrumbs[] = [
            '@type'    => 'ListItem',
            'position' => $position++,
            'name'     => $post_type->labels->name,
            'item'     => get_post_type_archive_link( get_post_type() ),
        ];

        $breadcrumbs[] = [
            '@type'    => 'ListItem',
            'position' => $position++,
            'name'     => get_the_title(),
            'item'     => get_permalink(),
        ];

    } elseif ( is_search() ) {
        $breadcrumbs[] = [
            '@type'    => 'ListItem',
            'position' => $position++,
            'name'     => 'Search Results: ' . get_search_query(),
            'item'     => get_search_link( get_search_query() ),
        ];

    } elseif ( is_archive() ) {
        $breadcrumbs[] = [
            '@type'    => 'ListItem',
            'position' => $position++,
            'name'     => post_type_archive_title( '', false ) ?: 'Archives',
            'item'     => get_post_type_archive_link( get_post_type() ),
        ];
    }

    if ( count( $breadcrumbs ) < 2 ) {
        return; // Need at least 2 items for valid breadcrumbs
    }

    $schema = [
        '@context'        => 'https://schema.org',
        '@type'           => 'BreadcrumbList',
        'itemListElement' => $breadcrumbs,
    ];

    echo '<script type="application/ld+json">' . wp_json_encode( $schema, JSON_UNESCAPED_SLASHES ) . '</script>' . "\n";
}
add_action( 'wp_head', 'wp_breadcrumb_schema_jsonld' );

Visual Breadcrumbs with Schema (Optional)

/**
 * Render visible breadcrumbs with matching HTML markup
 * Place in your theme template: <?php wp_render_breadcrumbs(); ?>
 */
function wp_render_breadcrumbs() {
    if ( is_front_page() ) {
        return;
    }

    echo '<nav class="breadcrumbs" aria-label="Breadcrumb">';
    echo '<ol class="breadcrumb-list">';

    echo '<li class="breadcrumb-item"><a href="' . esc_url( home_url( '/' ) ) . '">Home</a></li>';

    if ( is_singular( 'post' ) ) {
        $categories = get_the_category();
        if ( ! empty( $categories ) ) {
            $cat = $categories[0];
            echo '<li class="breadcrumb-item"><a href="' . esc_url( get_category_link( $cat->term_id ) ) . '">' . esc_html( $cat->name ) . '</a></li>';
        }
        echo '<li class="breadcrumb-item active" aria-current="page">' . esc_html( get_the_title() ) . '</li>';

    } elseif ( is_page() ) {
        global $post;
        $ancestors = array_reverse( get_post_ancestors( $post->ID ) );
        foreach ( $ancestors as $ancestor_id ) {
            echo '<li class="breadcrumb-item"><a href="' . esc_url( get_permalink( $ancestor_id ) ) . '">' . esc_html( get_the_title( $ancestor_id ) ) . '</a></li>';
        }
        echo '<li class="breadcrumb-item active" aria-current="page">' . esc_html( get_the_title() ) . '</li>';

    } elseif ( is_category() || is_tag() ) {
        $term = get_queried_object();
        echo '<li class="breadcrumb-item active" aria-current="page">' . esc_html( $term->name ) . '</li>';
    }

    echo '</ol></nav>';
}

Breadcrumb CSS

.breadcrumbs {
  padding: 12px 0;
  font-size: 14px;
}

.breadcrumb-list {
  display: flex;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
  list-style: none;
  padding: 0;
  margin: 0;
  gap: 4px;
}

.breadcrumb-item + .breadcrumb-item::before {
  content: "›";
  margin-right: 4px;
  color: #6b7280;
}

.breadcrumb-item a {
  color: #2563eb;
  text-decoration: none;
}

.breadcrumb-item a:hover {
  text-decoration: underline;
}

.breadcrumb-item.active {
  color: #6b7280;
}

Best Practices

• Always start with Home as the first breadcrumb item
• Use primary category for posts with multiple categories
• Include aria-label on nav element for accessibility
• Match visible breadcrumbs with JSON-LD output
• Test with Google Rich Results Test after deployment
• Minimum 2 items required for valid BreadcrumbList schema

Features

• Auto Page Detection: Handles posts, pages, categories, tags, CPTs, and archives
• Nested Page Support: Follows WordPress page hierarchy
• No Plugin Overhead: Pure PHP, lightweight implementation
• Google Rich Results: Replaces plain URLs in search results with breadcrumb trails
• Accessible: ARIA landmark and current page indication
• Custom Post Types: Automatically supports any registered CPT