Google Now Simplifies URL Display in Mobile Search Results

On January 23, 2025, Google announced a significant change in the display of search results on mobile devices.

Following this announcement, Google no longer displays breadcrumb elements in mobile search results across all languages and regions where Google Search is available.

According to Google's statement, this change aims to provide a more streamlined and clearer search experience for users. Here are the full details!

 

More About This Simplification

Previously, Google used breadcrumb elements as part of its "site hierarchy" feature to help users understand the structure of the websites they visited. 

However, on smaller mobile screens, these elements were often truncated, reducing their effectiveness.

With the removal of breadcrumb elements, Google now displays only the site domain in mobile search results, making URLs easier to read and understand.

 

Differences in URL Display on Desktop and Mobile Search Results

After this update, the URL display in search results will differ between desktop and mobile:

• Desktop: The URL will still have two parts: the domain and breadcrumb.
• Mobile: The URL will display only the domain, without the breadcrumb.

To help you visualize this change, here’s an illustration from Google Search Central showing the difference between URL displays in desktop and mobile search results.

On desktop search results, the URL structure will continue to include both the domain and breadcrumb.

This differs from mobile search results, which will only display the domain name, as shown in the following image:

In other words, this change does not affect desktop search results, where the breadcrumb element remains part of the information displayed to users.

 

Impact on Website Owners

For website owners who have already implemented breadcrumb markup on their websites, there is no need to take any specific action in response to this change. Google has confirmed that it will continue to support breadcrumb markup for search results displayed on desktop devices, meaning that the feature will remain functional and visible to users searching from their computers.

Additionally, the breadcrumb rich result report in Google Search Console will remain available, and site owners can still implement and test breadcrumb markup using the Rich Results Test.

 

What Does Google Say About This Change?

Google hopes that this update will enhance the user experience by making information easier to find in mobile searches.

With a simplified URL display, users can quickly identify websites that are relevant to their needs.

If users or site owners have any questions or feedback regarding this change, they can reach out to Google's team via LinkedIn or the Google Search Central Community forum.

This update reflects Google’s ongoing commitment to improving the search experience, particularly for mobile users, who continue to dominate internet usage today.