How to Show Breadcrumbs and Back Links

Breadcrumbs and back links help visitors move around your SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base without getting lost.

Breadcrumbs show the path to the page they are viewing, while the back link gives them a quick way to return to the main knowledge base homepage.

What are breadcrumbs?

Breadcrumbs are a short row of links shown near the top of an article or category page.

For example:

Knowledge Base > Getting Started > Installation

On an article page, the breadcrumb may also include the article title:

Knowledge Base > Getting Started > Installation > How to Install SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base

Visitors can select an earlier part of the path to return to that section.

What is the back link?

The back link normally appears near the top of an article or category page.

It may use wording such as:

Back to Knowledge Base

Selecting it takes the visitor to the main WordPress page containing the SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base shortcode.

The back link is useful for visitors who want to return to the main search and category area.

Select the main knowledge base page

Before enabling breadcrumbs or back links, make sure the correct knowledge base page has been selected.

To check it:

1. Sign in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Open Knowledge Base > Settings.
3. Select the General tab.
4. Find Knowledge Base Page.
5. Select the WordPress page containing the following shortcode:

6. Select Save Changes.

The plugin uses this page for the first breadcrumb link and the article back link.

Enable breadcrumbs

To show breadcrumbs:

1. Open Knowledge Base > Settings.
2. Select the Articles or Features tab.
3. Find the Breadcrumbs option.
4. Enable it.
5. Select Save Changes.

Open a published article and category page to check the result.

Where breadcrumbs appear

Breadcrumbs can appear on:

• Knowledge base articles
• Knowledge base category pages

The exact position depends on the page layout, but they will normally appear near the top of the main content.

They are separate from any breadcrumbs added by your WordPress theme.

Article breadcrumbs

An article breadcrumb can show:

• The main knowledge base page
• The assigned category
• Parent and child categories
• The current article

For example:

Knowledge Base > Licence and Subscription > How to Activate SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base

If the article is assigned to a child category, the parent category can also appear.

For example:

Knowledge Base > Getting Started > Installation > How to Install SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base

Category breadcrumbs

A category breadcrumb helps visitors move back through the category structure.

For a top-level category, it may look like:

Knowledge Base > Getting Started

For a child category:

Knowledge Base > Getting Started > Installation

This becomes more useful as your documentation grows and contains several category levels.

How article categories affect breadcrumbs

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base uses the categories assigned to an article when building its breadcrumb path.

For the clearest result, assign each article to the category that best matches its main subject.

If an article is assigned to several categories, the breadcrumb may use one of those categories as its path.

Using one clear main category usually produces more predictable navigation.

Enable the back link

To show the back link:

1. Open Knowledge Base > Settings.
2. Select the Articles or Features tab.
3. Find the Back Link option.
4. Enable it.
5. Select Save Changes.

Open an article and select the link to make sure it returns to the correct page.

Change the back link text

You can change the wording displayed to visitors.

Examples include:

• Back to Knowledge Base
• Return to Knowledge Base
• Back to Help Centre
• Back to Documentation
• Browse All Articles
• Return to Support

Use wording that matches the title of your main knowledge base page.

For example, if the page is called Help Centre, the link could say:

Back to Help Centre

Keep the back link wording short

The link should be easy to understand at a glance.

Avoid long wording such as:

Select here to return to the main SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base homepage

A shorter option such as:

Back to Knowledge Base

is easier to scan and works better on mobile devices.

Change the back link colour

The back link colour can be changed through the Design settings.

Open:

Knowledge Base > Settings > Design

Find the back link colour option and choose a colour that matches your website.

Make sure it still looks like a clickable link and is easy to read against the page background.

Change the back link text size

The Design settings can also include an option for the back link text size.

Choose a size that makes the link visible without competing with the article title.

The back link should feel like supporting navigation rather than the main heading.

Check the result on both desktop and mobile.

Breadcrumbs and the main knowledge base page

The first breadcrumb link points to the page selected under Knowledge Base Page.

If that setting is incorrect, visitors may be taken to:

• The wrong WordPress page
• An old knowledge base page
• A test page
• Another page containing the shortcode

Select the correct main page manually rather than relying on automatic detection when the shortcode exists in several places.

Automatic shortcode page detection

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base can detect the WordPress page containing:

This can be useful during the initial setup.

However, if the shortcode is added to more than one page, the detected page may not be the one you want to use for navigation.

For a live website, select the main Knowledge Base Page manually in the General settings.

Breadcrumbs and child categories

Parent and child categories create a more detailed breadcrumb path.

For example:

• Parent category: Using the Plugin
• Child category: Creating Articles
• Article: How to Create a Knowledge Base Article

The breadcrumb may appear as:

Knowledge Base > Using the Plugin > Creating Articles > How to Create a Knowledge Base Article

This helps visitors understand how the article fits into the wider documentation.

Breadcrumbs and SEO

Breadcrumbs make the page structure clearer for visitors and can also help search engines understand how articles and categories are connected.

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base can include structured information for articles and category pages when its SEO settings are enabled.

Use clear category names and a sensible structure so the breadcrumb path remains useful.

Breadcrumbs vs the browser back button

The browser back button returns visitors to the page they viewed previously.

The knowledge base back link always points to the main knowledge base page you selected.

These are not always the same.

For example, a visitor may open an article directly from a search engine. In that case, the browser back button returns to the search engine, while Back to Knowledge Base opens your documentation homepage.

Do you need both breadcrumbs and a back link?

You can use either feature on its own, but they work well together.

Breadcrumbs are useful for moving through categories.

The back link gives visitors a clear route to the main search and homepage.

A simple article layout could use:

1. Back to Knowledge Base link
2. Breadcrumbs
3. Article title
4. Article content

Check the final page to make sure the two navigation areas do not feel repetitive.

Avoid duplicate breadcrumbs

Some WordPress themes add their own breadcrumbs.

If both the theme and SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base show breadcrumbs, visitors may see two breadcrumb rows.

Choose one system and disable the other for knowledge base pages where possible.

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base breadcrumbs understand the plugin’s article and category structure, so they will usually provide the clearest path within the documentation.

Test breadcrumbs on an article

After enabling them:

1. Open a published knowledge base article.
2. Check the category path.
3. Select the main Knowledge Base link.
4. Return to the article.
5. Select the category link.
6. Make sure it opens the correct category.
7. Test any parent category link.
8. Check the layout on mobile.

Repeat the test with an article assigned to a child category if you use them.

Test breadcrumbs on a category

Open a top-level category and check that the breadcrumb returns to the main knowledge base.

Then open a child category and check that:

• The main Knowledge Base link works
• The parent category link works
• The current category name is correct
• The order makes sense

The back link opens the wrong page

If the back link points to the wrong location:

1. Open Knowledge Base > Settings > General.
2. Find Knowledge Base Page.
3. Select the correct WordPress page.
4. Select Save Changes.
5. Clear the website cache.
6. Test the link again.

Make sure the selected page contains:

The back link is not showing

Check that:

• The back link option is enabled
• The settings were saved
• The article or category is published
• The current layout supports the link
• Your SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base licence is active
• The website cache has been cleared

Test another article to see whether the issue affects one page or the whole knowledge base.

Breadcrumbs are not showing

If breadcrumbs are missing, check that:

• Breadcrumbs are enabled
• The settings were saved
• The page is a SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base article or category
• The article has a category
• Your licence is active
• The website cache has been cleared

An article without a category may have a shorter breadcrumb path.

The wrong category appears in the breadcrumb

Open the article editor and review the selected categories.

If several categories are selected:

1. Remove any categories that do not apply.
2. Keep the most relevant category selected.
3. Select Update.
4. Clear the page cache.
5. Check the breadcrumb again.

Using one main category normally gives the clearest result.

A parent category is missing

Check that the child category has the correct parent selected.

To review it:

1. Open Knowledge Base > Categories.
2. Edit the child category.
3. Check the Parent Category field.
4. Select the correct parent.
5. Select Update.
6. Refresh WordPress permalinks if needed.

Changing a category parent can also change its public URL.

Breadcrumb links return a 404 error

If a category link returns a page not found error:

1. Open Settings > Permalinks.
2. Select Save Changes.
3. Clear the website cache.
4. Test the link again.

You do not need to change the selected permalink structure.

Also check for a WordPress page using the same slug as the knowledge base category or article base.

The back link text has not changed

If the old wording still appears:

1. Confirm that you changed the correct text field.
2. Select Save Changes.
3. Clear your WordPress cache.
4. Clear any hosting or server cache.
5. Open the article in a private browser window.

Make sure you are checking a SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base article rather than a normal WordPress post.

The back link is hard to read

Open:

Knowledge Base > Settings > Design

Check the back link colour and text size.

Make sure:

• The colour contrasts with the background
• The size is not too small
• The link is not blending into nearby text
• Hover and focus states remain visible

Check the result on mobile as well as desktop.

Breadcrumbs are too long

Long category names and deeply nested categories can create a wide breadcrumb path.

You can improve it by:

• Shortening category names
• Using fewer category levels
• Assigning the article to one main category
• Avoiding unnecessary nesting
• Keeping article titles clear and concise

On mobile, breadcrumbs may wrap onto more than one line. This is normal, provided they remain readable.

Check breadcrumbs on mobile

Make sure that:

• Links are easy to tap
• The path wraps neatly
• Text does not overlap
• The article title is not pushed too far down the page
• The back link remains visible
• Long category names do not break the layout

A simple category structure usually produces the best mobile result.

Breadcrumb and back link checklist

Before finishing, check that:

• The correct main knowledge base page is selected
• Breadcrumbs are enabled
• The back link is enabled
• The back link wording matches your website
• Article categories create a sensible path
• Parent and child categories appear in the correct order
• Every breadcrumb link works
• The back link returns to the main knowledge base
• There are no duplicate theme breadcrumbs
• The colours are easy to read
• The layout works on desktop and mobile

Your breadcrumbs and back links are now ready to help visitors move around the knowledge base.