What to change
Ask your supplier to keep active search restrictions visible and removable when no results are found, preserving unrelated choices during recovery.
A worked example
Illustrative example
A visitor searching within one branch sees that the branch filter is active and can remove it to explore matching services elsewhere.
Why this matters to your practice
No results should be an invitation to adjust the search, not a dead end. Keep the active choices visible so a visitor can understand what narrowed the list. For example, a branch filter may explain why a service cannot be found in the current view. Ask your supplier to show how to remove one restriction while keeping the others. Automatically discarding every choice can hide the cause and make it harder for someone to search deliberately.
A practical review example
A branch filter may exclude a service available elsewhere. Ask your supplier to show the no-results state with that filter still visible and remove only the branch restriction. The visitor should understand why broader matches now appear. Automatically clearing everything can hide the cause and discard useful context. Review the recovery controls with a keyboard and reading software, so the message does not replace the whole search interface with an explanation that offers no practical way to adjust the query.
How to check the result
Accept when an empty result state exposes the conditions that produced it and offers working, understandable ways to broaden the search.
A mistake to avoid
Automatically clearing all filters without explanation may produce results while hiding why the original combination failed.
Turn reading into a next step
Your action checklist
Work through these checks with your team or supplier. Tick the ones you have resolved and leave unknowns open.
Record what you know, what is still missing and the answer you need from your team or supplier.
Use project decisions only, without personal, patient or confidential details. Entries stay in this page and are not submitted to Kay & Co. Copy or download before leaving; this page does not save your notes.
Further reading
These sources provide background for the topic. The practice examples and checklist are illustrative planning suggestions from Kay & Co.
Related guides
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