Customize WordPress Breadcrumbs Using Plugins or Code

It’s Monday morning, and your biggest client just fired off a panicked email. Their breadcrumbs say “Home > Blog > Services” when they definitely asked for “Home > What We Do.”

On top of that, one client wants arrows swapped for slashes. Another’s rebrand means their breadcrumbs now clash with their color palette.

Sound familiar?

If you’re juggling multiple WordPress sites, you already know breadcrumb setup isn’t a tick-box task. The defaults rarely reflect how clients structure their content or how they want visitors to find it. This can result in a number of issues:

• The classic “»” separator feels a bit 2011 next to your client’s shiny new UI.
• Deep category trees = breadcrumb trails that scroll longer than T&Cs.
• Labels like “Archive” don’t align with your client’s brand.

The list goes on.

The upside is that breadcrumbs in WordPress are far more customizable than they look. So, whether you’re making a quick copy fix or reshaping the whole structure, in this guide we’ll walk you through everything you need to get it done.

Why WordPress breadcrumbs don’t match your site structure

If you ever feel like your breadcrumbs are leading users in the wrong direction, you’re not imagining it. The issue usually comes down to how WordPress thinks about content, i.e., more like a filing cabinet than a user-friendly website.

At the heart of the problem is how WordPress separates posts and pages. Posts are chronological and don’t follow a hierarchy. Pages, by contrast, can be stacked neatly inside each other. This difference makes breadcrumb logic tricky, especially when you’re trying to build a clear, intuitive path for users.

The familiar “why can’t I just assign a parent page?” problem happens to nearly everyone at some point.

Say you’ve written a post about tax strategies and want it to appear under Services > Accounting. Seems logical, right? But WordPress won’t allow it. Posts can’t live under pages unless you use custom code as a workaround.

So, what can you do when breadcrumbs don’t behave?

• Convert to custom post types – these let you create a structure that actually fits how your content should be organized.
• Use primary categories – categories can help mimic a hierarchy, though it can get messy quickly.
• Convert posts to pages – sometimes, turning key posts into pages is the simplest way to get breadcrumbs working properly.

In most cases, you’ll need a mix. Blog posts might be fine with category-based breadcrumbs, but service or product pages often demand a true page hierarchy. Knowing these quirks upfront can save you hours fiddling with settings that just won’t do what you need.

Plugin solutions for professional sites

Not all breadcrumb plugins are built the same, and if you’ve ever had to manage one across multiple sites, you know the pain. Yoast SEO and similar plugins cover the basics, and tools like Breadcrumb NavXT go heavy on the tweaks, but there’s a big difference between adding breadcrumbs and actually controlling them.

Here’s how most plugins break down:

• Basic SEO plugins: Turn breadcrumbs on or off, maybe pick a separator.
• Mid-range tools: Tweak a few labels, choose which taxonomies to show.
• Advanced setups: Full hierarchy control, custom schemas, per-page logic.

Most plugins focus on appearance, not structure. You can change fonts and colors all day, but if you need to rename “Products” to “Our Solutions” or hide the WooCommerce shop page from a breadcrumb trail, that’s when things get tricky.

✅ Why SEOPress PRO stands out

SEOPress PRO offers serious control without the usual complexity. Its intuitive interface lets you visually insert and customize breadcrumbs in page builders like Gutenberg or Elementor, while settings give you precise control over hierarchy. Plus, per-page overrides make it easy to handle edge cases that inevitably come up with client work.

But here’s the real win for agencies managing multiple sites:

• Dual interface control: Make quick edits in the UI or tap into hooks and PHP when you need precision.
• JSON export/import: Set it up once, then roll it out wherever you need it.
• WP-CLI integration: Automate the entire setup for bulk deployments.

Whether you’re a designer who needs quick visual control or a developer scripting for scale, you need a breadcrumb tool that speaks both languages. Jumping between plugins to patch together features only slows you down. SEOPress PRO keeps things streamlined, consistent, and fully in your hands.

Edit your WordPress Breadcrumbs using the SEOPress PRO plugin (via UI and code)

SEOPress gives you full control over breadcrumb behavior in WordPress – from quick visual tweaks to deeper hierarchy logic. Below, we’ll walk through how to tailor every element using both the SEOPress interface and custom code.

Global defaults with SEOPress PRO (multi-site ready)

Nailing your breadcrumb config early saves a lot of pain down the road, especially if you’re managing multiple sites. This one-time setup approach ensures you won’t end up fielding “Why does Site B look different?” support requests later.

Here’s a workflow that scales:

• Head to SEO > PRO > Breadcrumbs and switch breadcrumbs on.

• Set your separator character (e.g. /, ›, →) in the Breadcrumbs Separator field.

• To add prefix text (like ‘You are here:’), scroll to the Translations section, navigate to Display a text before the breadcrumbs, and type your preferred wording into the field.

• To control how categories, tags, or custom taxonomies appear, configure settings in the Customize section.

With SEOPress PRO, you can configure everything once and roll it out – no need to repeat the process for each site.

For multilingual installs, translations are easy: just navigate to the Translations section. Then:

• Look for the fields you want to localize – like Homepage, Search results for, Author:, or the prefix text.
• Enter your translations directly into each field for the languages you support.
• SEOPress PRO handles the output without needing .PO files or third-party translation plugins.

No manual file editing. No extra setup. Just edit, save, and your breadcrumb text updates site-wide.

And if you need to roll out at scale, just export your config as a JSON file and use WP-CLI to deploy across your entire network – fast, consistent, and fuss-free.

wp seopress option export breadcrumb-config.json

This approach turns hours of manual tweaks into a single command. Once set up, your agency’s go-to breadcrumb structure is just as portable as your favorite code snippets.

Changing breadcrumb text and separators

Now it’s time to match the breadcrumb trail to your client’s voice. Whether they want slashes instead of arrows or prefer “Dashboard” over “Home,” SEOPress makes these changes fast and painless.

Simply navigate to SEO > PRO > Breadcrumbs and scroll down to the Customize section. Custom separator options:

• Swap out the default » for clean, modern choices like /, ›, or →.
• Looking for something more distinctive? Simple Enable HTML Breadcrumbs to use emojis (🏠 → 📁 → 📄) or even custom SVG icons.

💡Pro tip: Always preview your separator choices on different screen sizes. What looks great on desktop can be a mess on mobile.

“Home” text customization:

Go to Translations to change the default “Home” to whatever fits your client’s tone – Start, Main, a house icon, or even their brand name. It’s especially handy when “Home” feels off-brand, like in member areas where “Dashboard” makes more sense.

Text before breadcrumbs:

Need to add context for users or boost accessibility? You can prepend custom text like “You are here:” or “Navigation:”, with full HTML support. A simple tweak that makes a big difference in user orientation.

Prefer code? Here’s your copy-paste solution:

function custom_seopress_breadcrumbs_separator() {

    return esc_html__(' / ', 'your-text-domain');

}

add_filter('seopress_pro_breadcrumbs_sep', 'custom_seopress_breadcrumbs_separator');

function custom_seopress_breadcrumbs_home() {

    return esc_html__('Dashboard', 'your-text-domain');

}

add_filter('seopress_pro_breadcrumbs_home', 'custom_seopress_breadcrumbs_home');

Editing individual breadcrumb items

Sometimes, your ideal breadcrumb label doesn’t match the actual page title, and that’s okay. Maybe your client wants “Services” to appear as “What We Do” in the breadcrumb trail, but changing the page title could mess with SEO. SEOPress has a neat solution for this.

Per-page override:

On any post or page, open the SEOPress meta box and go to Advanced > Custom breadcrumb.

What you enter here only changes how the label appears in breadcrumbs. Your original page title, navigation, and SEO metadata stay exactly as they are.

📌 Examples where this comes in handy:

• A page titled Services shows as What We Do in breadcrumbs.
• Blog appears as Insights on a consulting site.
• Shop becomes Our Products for a boutique brand.

Archive customization:

SEOPress PRO lets you control whether archive names appear, and how they’re structured, in your breadcrumb trails. Head to SEO > PRO > Breadcrumbs, jump into the Customize area, and choose to display or remove archive names and related taxonomies.

While you can’t rename labels like “Products” via the UI, you can simplify or modify breadcrumb paths without touching templates or code.

Code method for dynamic control:

function custom_seopress_breadcrumbs_separator() {

    return esc_html__(' / ', 'your-text-domain');

}

add_filter('seopress_pro_breadcrumbs_sep', 'custom_seopress_breadcrumbs_separator');

function custom_seopress_breadcrumbs_home() {

    return esc_html__('Dashboard', 'your-text-domain');

}

add_filter('seopress_pro_breadcrumbs_home', 'custom_seopress_breadcrumbs_home');

function custom_seopress_breadcrumbs_crumb($crumb, $key) {

    if ($crumb['text'] === esc_html__('Services', 'your-text-domain')) {

        $crumb['text'] = esc_html__('What We Do', 'your-text-domain');

    }

    return $crumb;

}

add_filter('seopress_pro_breadcrumbs_crumb', 'custom_seopress_breadcrumbs_crumb', 10, 2);

This granular control means you can finally deliver breadcrumbs that match how clients talk about their business, not how WordPress organizes content.

Controlling breadcrumb hierarchy and taxonomy depth

You’ve got a basic breadcrumb setup, but your different content types need different hierarchical approaches. SEOPress PRO offers four proven breadcrumb patterns that cover the vast majority of use cases agencies run into – plus the freedom to build custom trails when client needs get more specific.

WooCommerce-specific controls:

• Remove WooCommerce shop: Just tick “Remove the static Shop page” when your client wants product pages to sit directly under Home.
• Configure product hierarchies: Show categories, tags, or attributes – whatever best matches the way the catalog is structured.

Add taxonomies:

Choose which taxonomies to display in post breadcrumbs. Combine categories, tags, or custom taxonomies to reflect real content relationships and give users a more intuitive navigation experience.

Code for custom hierarchy when the UI isn’t enough:

add_filter('seopress_pro_breadcrumbs_crumbs', function($crumbs) {

    // Custom logic for specific post types

    if (is_singular('portfolio')) {

        // Insert custom hierarchy

        array_splice($crumbs, 1, 0, array(array(

            'text' => 'Our Work',

            'url' => '/portfolio/'

        )));

    }

    return $crumbs;

});

Inserting SEOPress breadcrumbs anywhere

Gone are the days of editing theme files just to move breadcrumbs around. SEOPress gives you flexible no-code placement options that work with any theme or builder.

Gutenberg block

Just search for “Breadcrumbs” in the block inserter and place it wherever you like. Tweak the styling right from the sidebar – ideal for custom layouts that break away from the usual breadcrumb spots.

Shortcode flexibility

The

shortcode plays nicely across the board. You can drop it into widgets, page builders, or even inside your content. If you’re using Elementor, pop it into a shortcode widget. Divi? Add it with a text module. Simple and reliable.

PHP template tag for developers:

if (function_exists('seopress_display_breadcrumbs')) { 

    seopress_display_breadcrumbs(); 

} ?>

Full Site Editor compatibility:

You can drop the breadcrumb block straight into your header.html or single.html templates. Set it up once, and it’ll show up site-wide.

The best part? You’re not stuck with just one approach. Go with blocks if you want a visual workflow, use shortcodes for flexibility, or tap into PHP for full control. It’s all about choosing what fits each project best.

Advanced customization with SEOPress hooks and filters

Need more than the standard UI offers? SEOPress gives you a robust system of hooks and filters that let you fine-tune breadcrumb output down to the smallest detail. Whether it’s structure, labels, or logic, you’ve got the tools to shape it exactly how you want.

Modify HTML classes for perfect theme integration:

add_filter('seopress_pro_breadcrumbs_class', function() {

    return 'breadcrumb-nav custom-breadcrumb';

});

Make the last item clickable (great for portfolio sites):

add_filter('seopress_pro_breadcrumbs_link_current', '__return_true');

Add content before/after breadcrumbs:

add_action('seopress_pro_breadcrumbs_before', function() {

    echo '

';

});

Remove specific items from the trail:

add_filter('seopress_pro_breadcrumbs_crumbs', function($crumbs) {

    // Remove "Shop" from WooCommerce breadcrumbs

    return array_filter($crumbs, function($crumb) {

        return $crumb['text'] !== 'Shop';

    });

});

These filters stack beautifully, allowing you to combine multiple customizations without conflicts. Perfect for agencies that need consistent modifications across client sites.

Styling SEOPress breadcrumbs with CSS

Base selector .seopress-breadcrumbs – every breadcrumb trail from SEOPress is wrapped in this class, giving you a reliable hook for custom styling without clashes.

If you want a clean, modern breadcrumb layout, Flexbox is your friend. It handles horizontal alignment smoothly, keeps your separators tidy, and saves you from having to wrestle with awkward margins or line-height tweaks.

Responsive flexbox approach:

.seopress-breadcrumbs {

    display: flex;

    flex-wrap: wrap;

    align-items: center;

    gap: 0.5rem;

}

.seopress-breadcrumbs li:not(:last-child)::after {

    content: attr(data-separator);

    margin: 0 0.5rem;

}

CSS variables for team-friendly theming:

:root {

    --breadcrumb-color: #666;

    --breadcrumb-hover: #000;

    --breadcrumb-separator: '/';

    --breadcrumb-font-size: 0.875rem;

}

.seopress-breadcrumbs a {

    color: var(--breadcrumb-color);

    font-size: var(--breadcrumb-font-size);

}

This approach lets non-developers update breadcrumb styling through the Customizer or theme options. Change variables once, update everywhere – perfect for maintaining brand consistency across client sites.

Translation and multilingual support

SEOPress breadcrumbs are built to handle multilingual sites with ease. Whether your clients work in French, Spanish, or beyond, translations are simple to manage without extra plugins or complex string handling.

To translate static labels, just head to SEO > PRO > Breadcrumbs and enter your versions directly. “Home” becomes “Accueil,” “Inicio,” or whatever fits your site’s language setup.

If you’re using WPML or Polylang, SEOPress does the heavy lifting for you:

• Translatable strings are automatically added to your translation queue.
• There’s no need to register them manually.
• Breadcrumbs stay in step with your content translations throughout.

Code for dynamic translation when you need more control:

add_filter('seopress_pro_breadcrumbs_home', function($home) {

    if (function_exists('pll_current_language')) {

        $translations = array(

            'fr' => 'Accueil',

            'es' => 'Inicio',

            'de' => 'Startseite'

        );

        $lang = pll_current_language();

        return $translations[$lang] ?? $home;

    }

    return $home;

});

This setup means your breadcrumbs automatically match the current language, eliminating the need for manual switching or separate configurations per language.

Schema and SEO implementation

SEOPress takes care of the technical heavy lifting for you, automatically generating clean BreadcrumbList structured data that’s built to perform well with Google.

Automatic JSON-LD generation

Each breadcrumb trail comes with valid BreadcrumbList schema baked in. It’s Search Console–friendly and rich snippet–ready right from the start.

Prefer JSON-LD only? Sure thing! To avoid duplicated schemas, SEOPress automatically remove the microdata on the HTML breadcrumbs. It adds the JSON-LD to the head of your document using the wp_head hook.

Customize schema output for specific needs:

add_filter('seopress_pro_breadcrumbs_json', function($json) {

    // Add custom properties or modify structure

    $json['@context'] = '

    $json['name'] = 'Site Navigation';

    return $json;

});

This dual setup – on-page breadcrumbs for users, structured data for search engines – delivers the best of both worlds: a smoother experience for visitors and stronger visibility in search. Your breadcrumb trail does more without you having to.

Use SEOPress PRO to edit breadcrumbs in WordPress

If you’re tired of breadcrumb plugins that box you in or themes that make edits feel like open-heart surgery, SEOPress PRO is a breath of fresh air. It’s the go-to choice for agencies and developers who want full control.

The complete breadcrumb toolkit:

• Activate in one click, then place anywhere – use blocks, shortcodes, or PHP to slot breadcrumbs in exactly where you want them.
• Set your own hierarchy rules with a visual editor.
• Built for accessibility and global sites. SEOPress is WCAG-compliant and ready for multilingual use out of the box.
• Developer-friendly from the ground up. Tap into filters and actions to fine-tune everything from HTML markup to schema output.
• Clean, customizable schema – automatic JSON-LD that keeps Google happy and passes validation without extra tinkering.

Remember that Monday morning panic when a client’s breadcrumb trail went rogue? With SEOPress PRO, that fix would’ve taken minutes, not your whole morning. Just export your settings once and roll them out across your client sites – simple, consistent, reliable.

Try SEOPress PRO today and build smarter, cleaner navigation without the hassle.

By Benjamin Denis

CEO of SEOPress. 15 years of experience with WordPress. Founder of WP Admin UI & WP Cloudy plugins. Co-organizer of WordCamp Biarritz 2023 & WP BootCamp. WordPress Core Contributor.