A structured-data test can pass while the visible breadcrumb sends customers into the wrong category. Agree the intended path for a representative item, then compare the labels and destinations people use with the structured trail. Multiple valid trails require an explicit information-architecture choice.
Who should use this acceptance brief
Catalogue and service-directory website owners. Use this as a scoped commissioning task for a website supplier. Where system evidence is required, a teaching file is not a substitute.
Source-bound platform fact
Google documents ordered ListItem positions and item information for BreadcrumbList. Markup eligibility does not guarantee a search appearance. Google: breadcrumbs · Checked 16 October 2026.
Filled teaching example
Synthetic example, not a client case. Inputs, expected decisions and counterexamples follow; no live platform integration is claimed.
On narrow screens, scroll to read the complete table.
| Input / case | Check basis | Expected decision |
|---|---|---|
| Home → Lighting → Desk lamp | positions 1,2,3 | coherent |
| Home → Chairs → Desk lamp | category mismatch | review IA |
| positions 1,3,3 | duplicate order | reject fixture |
Run the acceptance exercise
- Pick the intended parent category and a real accessible destination for every linked item.
- Compare visible and structured labels, order and URLs on the same rendered page.
- Follow the links without relying on search-engine previews and keep the resulting response evidence.
Interpret the result and retain evidence
The fixture requires consecutive positions and matching expected category. It does not validate all Google properties or execute links. The handover should include one accepted trail and one deliberately wrong-category case, so a developer cannot satisfy the task by merely producing parseable JSON.
Limits before implementation
No changes to existing category URLs or canonicals are implied. Resolve any legacy information-architecture change under separate approval.
Replay the finite example
Save both files in one folder and run with Node22.13 or newer. These finite checks are not a live service or certification. Filled inputs and expected outputs · Inspectable functions
node decision-check.mjs breadcrumb-path-acceptance.json