Aglet

Prioritize zero-result search recovery with clear next actions

Empty results deserve priority when people cannot tell whether the catalog lacks an item or their filters became too narrow. Compare the cost of a dead end with the safety of suggested alternatives. A clear reset or scope cue may belong ahead of a broader retrieval project.

Decide where the work belongs

  1. Rank the blocked task

    Describe what the person was trying to find and whether a broader or literal search could help. Compare hard zero, filtered zero, and category zero. Keep a single unusual phrase separate from a family of queries that repeatedly ends without guidance.

  2. Compare recovery options

    Set filter removal, broader category, spelling suggestion, related results, and no-result explanation beside one another. Consider whether each option preserves intent or sends people somewhere unrelated. Prefer a reversible action that leaves the submitted query available.

  3. Set the queue move

    Choose an empty-state copy change, scoped interaction fix, data review, or ranking investigation. Name owner, query class, and revisit evidence. Keep the failing URL and one successful control so the queue decision remains tied to a real journey.

What to carry forward

Prioritize recovery where a meaningful search ends with no explanation or a low-cost next action. The decision should name empty-state class and remedy scope. If the result is truly unavailable, prioritize truthful expectation setting instead of a fallback that suggests products people cannot obtain.

Technical background: W3C guidance.

Keep the decision with the work.

Use a Work Item in Aglet to record the problem, the evidence you have, and the next decision. Add an owner and priority, then keep updates in the discussion so the next person can follow the reasoning.

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