Make search filters easy to understand and undo

What this means for your practice

Use filters that reflect real choices and keep their active state visible. Explain when a filter combination returns nothing and make clearing it straightforward.

A practical example

For example, someone may choose a branch and an appointment type that are not offered together. The page can show those choices and offer a clear way to reset them or explore the service's available locations. Ask your supplier to demonstrate that case on a phone. You should be able to see what changed in the results and how a visitor returns to a useful list without starting the entire search again.

Make the reset control easy to recognise. A person should be able to remove their choices without knowing the technical meaning of filtering. Ask the supplier to check that returning to a results page does not silently restore an old selection the visitor thought they had removed.

Make this improvement work

Base search filters on decisions visitors can recognise, such as location or a genuine service distinction. Explain the active choices and make it easy to remove one without starting the whole search again. Ask the supplier to show a combination that produces no results and a case where only one filter caused the problem. The reader should understand that content may exist outside the selected combination. Test filters with realistic service names and on a phone-sized layout. Review whether filtering helps narrow a useful set or hides information people need before they know which choice applies. More filter controls do not automatically create a better search experience.

How to check the result

Measure filter combinations associated with abandonment.