The guideline
Never show a bare "no results" page. State the query that was run, and keep it in the search box so it can be edited rather than retyped. Where a spelling correction is likely, apply it automatically and say so plainly ("Showing results for Samsung TV instead of Samsng TV"), while still letting the user search for what they actually typed if they want to. When no correction applies, offer related or broader searches, and list popular or trending items or categories as a fallback so the page is never empty. If the emptiness was caused by an overly narrow filter combination rather than the query itself, offer to relax the most restrictive filter and show what that would return.
Common failures
- When shoppers land on a "No Results" page, they encounter a dead end with no alternative paths, spelling suggestions, or recommended products to keep them engaged. This forces users to abandon their search or navigate away entirely.
Where it applies
Pages
Disciplines
Devices
Why it matters, how to fix it, and the research behind it
Rubric's full guide adds the reasoning, the fix and the sources for this check, and checks your client's pages against it and hundreds of others. Findings come back worst first.