Breadcrumb

v2.2

Breadcrumbs show the navigational hierarchy of a page.

  • Skin
  • Marko
  • React
Stylized graphic of a breadcrumb.

Considerations

Guiding

Breadcrumbs help wayfinding no matter how many layers.

Hierarchal

Breadcrumbs show a user's current location within the hierarchy of a site.

Contextual

Breadcrumbs help users understand what screen they're on relative to the information architecture.

Anatomy

Properties

Default

By default, the first item is the root category page and the last item is the most immediate parent page. Pages within the hierarchy are separated by a chevron to indicate the hierarchical relationship.

Horizontal breadcrumbs, with Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4 links separated by chevron icons.

Last item as current

The last item in the hierarchy can be the current page title if it is valuable to include, and it should be static, not interactive.

4 breadcrumb links, 3 in foreground secondary color, final one in foreground primary color.

Overflow

Use an overflow control to collapse pages when there are 4 or more labels visible to avoid extending elements offscreen.

Overflow can also be used if multiple parent pages have truncated labels.

The width of the parent container informs how many items are collapsed into an overflow and whether or not the last page is truncated.

Pagination control with collapsed page links showing 'Page 1', an overflow menu, and 'Page 6'; breadcrumb trail for 'Business & Industrial > Adjustable Po...' with truncated text.

Behavior

Character count

While titles can vary in size, the preferred character count for titles is 24 characters and under.

Breadcrumb navigation with 'Home & Garden > Outdoor cooking tools > Barbecue Tools' and character counts below each, 13, 21, and 14 respectively.

Multiple long labels

Only 1 label should be truncated within the hierarchy. If multiple labels are long, collapse all but the last page into the overflow menu.

Breadcrumb navigation showing two categories: Business & Industrial and Adjustable Power Supplies, separated by an overflow icon with chevrons on both sides.

Screen sizes

Small

Web collapses all parent pages into an overflow and only surfaces the last item. Native apps do not use breadcrumbs. Instead, use the top navigation bar with a back action.

A small web design of a view item page. Breadcrumb navigation is placed under the top navigation. The breadcrumb has two pages separated by an overflow icon and chevrons on either side.

Web

A small native design of a view item page. This design does not have breadcrumbs and only has a top navigation bar with a left chevron to navigate backward.

Native

Medium

Native apps do not use breadcrumbs. Instead, use the top navigation bar and a back action, or a navigation rail.

A landscape tablet UI design with a top navigation bar containing a left chevron to navigate backwards.

Large

Breadcrumbs on larger screens are located below the global navigation and above the page title or other page content.

A large screen design featuring a navigation bar at the top, followed by breadcrumb navigation and then the page content.

Best practices

Specs

A detailed spec of a breadcrumb. From left to right reads page 1, chevron, overflow icon, page 3, chevron, page 4. The height of the overall breadcrumb with the overflow icon is 24px tall. Spacing on either side of the chevrons are 6px. The overflow icon is 24px wide and tall. The chevron icons are 12px. The height of the page titles are 16px.