Breadcrumbs

The breadcrumbs component helps users to understand where they are within a website’s structure and move between levels.

When to use this component

Use the breadcrumbs component when you need to help users understand and move between the multiple levels of a website.

When not to use this component

Do not use the breadcrumbs component on websites with a flat structure, or to show progress through a linear journey or transaction.

If you’re using other navigational elements on the page, such as a sidebar, consider whether your users need the additional support of breadcrumbs.

How it works

Always place breadcrumbs at the top of a page, before the <main> element. Placing them here means that the ‘Skip to main content’ link allows the user to skip all navigation links, including breadcrumbs.

The breadcrumbs should start with your ‘home’ page and end with the parent section of the current page.

There are 2 ways to use the breadcrumbs component. You can use HTML or, if you are using Nunjucks or the GOV.UK Prototype Kit, you can use the Nunjucks macro.

Collapsing breadcrumbs on mobile devices

If you have long breadcrumbs you can configure the component to only show the first and last items on mobile devices.

To do this, add a govuk-breadcrumbs--collapse-on-mobile class to the outer <div> element of the component HTML. Or if you’re using Nunjucks, add collapseOnMobile: true to the Nunjucks macro as shown in this example.

Use the govuk-breadcrumbs--inverse modifier class to show white links and arrows on dark backgrounds – for example, in headers, custom components, and patterns with darker backgrounds.

Make sure all users can see the breadcrumbs – the background colour must have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 with white to meet WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.3 Contrast (minimum), level AA.

Open this example in a new tab: inverse breadcrumbs – breadcrumbs
HTML
<nav class="govuk-breadcrumbs govuk-breadcrumbs--inverse" aria-label="Breadcrumb">
  <ol class="govuk-breadcrumbs__list">
    <li class="govuk-breadcrumbs__list-item">
      <a class="govuk-breadcrumbs__link" href="#">Home</a>
    </li>
    <li class="govuk-breadcrumbs__list-item">
      <a class="govuk-breadcrumbs__link" href="#">Passports, travel and living abroad</a>
    </li>
    <li class="govuk-breadcrumbs__list-item">
      <a class="govuk-breadcrumbs__link" href="#">Travel abroad</a>
    </li>
  </ol>
</nav>
Nunjucks

See options and how to use with Nunjucks

{% from "govuk/components/breadcrumbs/macro.njk" import govukBreadcrumbs %}

{{ govukBreadcrumbs({
  classes: "govuk-breadcrumbs--inverse",
  items: [
    {
      text: "Home",
      href: "#"
    },
    {
      text: "Passports, travel and living abroad",
      href: "#"
    },
    {
      text: "Travel abroad",
      href: "#"
    }
  ]
}) }}

Recent changes

Date Changed Description
Jul 2024 GOV.UK Frontend v5.4.1

Updated component to use the nav HTML element with an aria-label, to better describe the component to assistive technologies.
Jul 2023 GOV.UK Frontend v4.7.0

Added inverse appearance modifier.
Jan 2023 GOV.UK Frontend v4.5.0

Fixed chevrons not scaling with text size.
Dec 2021 Guidance

Added guidance on where to place the Breadcrumbs component on a page.
Jun 2020 GOV.UK Frontend v3.7.0

Added collapseOnMobile parameter.

Removed guidance that advised including the current page’s name in the Breadcrumbs.

View full change history

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