Breadcrumbs
Why and how to use this component
Users need a way to see a page's location in the site hierarchy. They also need
a way to navigate to higher levels in the site architecture.
The breadcrumb - included on every page except the homepage itself - provides
the user with a 'sense of place' and a relationship to the site's hierarchy and
structure. This is particularly useful for a user who has arrived at a page
directly through a link, bookmark/favourite or a search engine
General
- breadcrumbs start on the highest level of the site
- the links in the breadcrumb must point to pages in the same language as the
current page
- clicking an item in the breadcrumb directs the user to that level in the
hierarchy above the current page
- the title of the current page is not repeated in the breadcrumb
- labels should provide continuity to the website. This is done by ensuring each
tab label is styled the same
- each label is parted with a separating character
- the separating characters and the spaces between the links and the labels are
not linked
When to use this component
- breadcrumbs are required and should appear in the page header on every page of
the site (except on the homepage of European Commission's political and
information sites)
Do not use this component
- if there is no second level to show