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Liquid knowledge breadcrumbs: show the path with sb.container_bread_crumb

Updated Wednesday, October 28, 2026 · Marc Staine

Breadcrumbs tell customers where they are in a knowledge hierarchy and give them a short route back to a broader topic. They are useful when someone arrives from a search result or a colleague’s link and needs to see related guidance. sb.container_bread_crumb supplies the selected container’s authorized path; the template decides how to display that path.

At a glance

For: portal administrators and designers working with support operations. Applies to: Supportbench Core.

Start here: Settings → Customer Portal → select the portal → Page templates

What this object gives you  ·  Choose the correct page and customer context  ·  Supported values and how to use them  ·  Example: make the current topic clear  ·  Choose breadcrumbs for orientation, not as your only navigation  ·  Make and verify the change  ·  Common problems and recovery  ·  Keep the portal useful over time

What this object gives you

sb.container_bread_crumb is a list of breadcrumb rows, not one object. A positive, authorized container context is required. Without it, the list is empty; Core does not invent a default breadcrumb just because a page has a knowledge heading.

Each row has an identifier, a name and a boolean selected flag. Display the selected row as the current location and the other rows as links. This avoids sending a visitor back to the same page unnecessarily.

Choose the correct page and customer context

Use this object on a knowledge-container page or another page that actually retains a valid container context. An article opened directly without a topic context is not guaranteed to have the same breadcrumb path as an article opened while browsing a topic.

Open the intended portal in Settings → Customer Portal, then choose Page templates. You need permission to administer communities or the applicable portal-edit override. Work on the existing page for this task; adding an object name to a different page does not make its records available. Keep existing forms, input names, navigation and scripts intact.

Liquid is a presentation language. Expressions inside {{ ... }} print values; statements inside {% ... %} control a loop or condition. A collection must be looped through before reading an individual row. These examples are display fragments to adapt within a working template, not replacement page templates.

Supported values and how to use them

MemberMeaning and operational use
idString identifier of the container in this row. Use it with /container/ for a container link.
nameReadable container name. Escape it at the HTML output boundary.
selectedBoolean: true for the currently selected container. Use it for the current-page label, not as a permission check.

Example: make the current topic clear

<nav aria-label="Knowledge breadcrumb">
 <ol>
 {% for crumb in sb.container_bread_crumb %}
 <li>
 {% if crumb.selected %}
 <span aria-current="page">{{ crumb.name | escape }}</span>
 {% else %}
 <a href="/container/{{ crumb.id | escape }}">{{ crumb.name | escape }}</a>
 {% endif %}
 </li>
 {% endfor %}
 </ol>
</nav>

If the page is also used without a container context, conditionally hide the empty navigation block or keep the portal’s existing knowledge-home navigation. Do not show a fabricated parent topic to fill the space. Use actual topic names; a customer should recognize the path from the knowledge menu.

Choose breadcrumbs for orientation, not as your only navigation

A customer troubleshooting equipment may arrive at a very specific maintenance topic. Breadcrumbs can take them back to the product family, while a related-article panel offers the next diagnostic procedure. These controls serve different purposes. Preserve search and the main knowledge navigation rather than relying on the breadcrumb alone.

Keep long topic names readable on mobile. Let the path wrap naturally, and make linked items distinguishable from the current item. Test a first-level topic as well as a deeper path so separators and spacing do not leave empty marks.

Make and verify the change

  1. Write down the customer task this change should improve. For example, make the correct request or relevant knowledge easier to find. Decide what should appear when there is no data.
  2. Copy the current template into your approved change record before editing. Add the fragment in the correct page context without removing functional controls.
  3. Choose Save Changes to save the draft, then Design to preview it. Check a populated example and an empty or signed-out example as applicable.
  4. Inspect desktop and narrow-screen layouts. Test long customer names, long titles, missing optional values, readable links and keyboard navigation.
  5. Use Review changes → Publish when the draft is ready. A saved draft does not update the live visitor page.
  6. Open the actual portal as an intended customer and follow the full task. Verify another relevant role or customer scope where visibility differs. Record the account, page, role and outcome with the change.

Preview is only part of the check

Designer examples use synthetic data. They can show layout and syntax problems, but do not prove that a real customer has access to a record. Keep portal access rules and the actual customer test separate from visual preview.

Common problems and recovery

ProblemWhat to check
There is no breadcrumb on a direct article linkInspect the actual container context. Article identity alone does not establish a selected topic hierarchy.
Every item looks like the current pageUse each row’s selected boolean inside the loop rather than a page-wide value.
The path points to article pagesBreadcrumb IDs here identify containers. Use the container route, not /article/.
The template renders in preview but the live page has not changedConfirm that you published the reviewed draft for the correct portal, page and language. Reopen the live page.
A customer sees fewer records than an agentCheck the customer’s portal role, company/contact relationship and the record’s audience. Do not attempt to broaden access by changing a Liquid loop.
A layout change breaks a form or navigationCompare the changed template with the saved working version. Restore missing form IDs, inputs, URL patterns or callbacks before publishing the corrected draft.

Keep the portal useful over time

Review breadcrumbs whenever knowledge topics are moved or renamed. An orderly path helps customer contacts orient themselves, but a misleading topic hierarchy still needs editorial reorganization.

Use clear labels and meaningful empty states. Do not display a raw ID when a customer needs a descriptive name, and do not describe an absent value as a service failure. After changes to portal roles, topic placement, custom fields or language coverage, revisit the relevant customer examples. A successful render alone does not establish that the instructions, links and customer visibility are still correct.

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