Breadcrumb

Breadcrumb or Breadcrumb trail is a graphical control element frequently used as a navigational aid in user interfaces and on web pages. It allows users to keep track of their locations within programs, documents, or websites. The term comes from the trail of breadcrumbs left by Hansel and Gretel in the popular fairytale.

Overview

A breadcrumb trail is a simple navigation aid that uses a hierarchical structure to show the user's current location in a website or application. It provides a way for users to visualize their location, in relation to the site's structure, and navigate back to previous pages.

Types of Breadcrumbs

There are three types of breadcrumb trails:

1. Location Breadcrumbs: These show the user's location in the site's hierarchy. They are common on websites that have a large amount of hierarchical content, such as e-commerce sites.
2. Path Breadcrumbs: These show the steps the user has taken to arrive at their current location. This type is less common, as it requires tracking the user's navigation.
3. Attribute Breadcrumbs: These show relevant attributes of the current page. They are common on e-commerce sites where a product may have many attributes, such as color or brand.

Benefits of Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs provide several benefits:

1. Ease of Navigation: Breadcrumbs allow users to navigate back to previous pages with a single click, without the need to use the browser's back button.
2. Context: Breadcrumbs provide context and show the user's location within the site's hierarchy.
3. Reduced Bounce Rate: By providing an easy way to navigate back to previous pages, breadcrumbs can help to reduce the bounce rate.

Criticism of Breadcrumbs

Despite their benefits, breadcrumbs have been criticized for a few reasons:

1. Redundancy: Some argue that breadcrumbs duplicate functionality that is already provided by the browser's back button and the site's main navigation.
2. Space: Breadcrumbs take up screen space, which could be used for other content or design elements.
3. Complexity: In complex websites with multiple levels of hierarchy, breadcrumbs can become confusing.

See Also

• Navigation menu
• Site map
• User interface design