# Build a breadcrumb trail that holds together

Ordered ListItems, meaningful names and the final-item exception.

By CheckMySchema. Reviewed 2026-09-22.
Canonical page: https://checkmyschema.com/learn/breadcrumb-markup

## Describe the page hierarchy

A BreadcrumbList represents a meaningful path through a site. Google’s documented profile uses at least two ListItem entries. Give each entry a position, starting at one, and a readable name.

## Link each step

Earlier entries need an item pointing to the corresponding page. The last entry may omit item; Google can use the containing page’s URL. A Thing used as item can provide the name instead of duplicating it on ListItem.

## Validate the whole trail

CheckMySchema checks entry types, sequence, minimum length and required fields. Fix the hierarchy itself before fixing syntax if your breadcrumb does not accurately represent navigation.

## Official sources

- [Google breadcrumb guide](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/breadcrumb)
- [BreadcrumbList definition](https://schema.org/BreadcrumbList)