Step 1
Search for a term known to produce no results in a test catalog.
Practical review guide · Free worksheet
Test accessible no-results states in store search
Direct answerCheck whether an empty result is announced and offers understandable recovery options. Keep the user's query available for editing and test filter combinations.
Reviewed by ComplyFolio. Store owners, accessibility reviewers and developers testing real ecommerce journeys.
Get the working templateReview procedure
These are suggested operational checks to apply to your own evidence. They are not additional legal requirements or claims that the workspace automates this entire task.
Step 2
Check the result heading, count and assistive-technology announcement.
Step 3
Apply and clear filters using a keyboard while preserving the search query.
Step 4
Verify that suggested recovery actions have clear labels and lead to usable states.
Worked example
A store search returns no products after filtering, but the result count changes silently and the query disappears.
What the reviewer finds
- The no-results state is not announced.
- Clearing filters also erases the query without explanation.
Resulting record
A search recovery test covering empty results and filter changes.
Boundary: A usable empty state does not establish the relevance or accessibility of all search results.
This scenario is fictional. It illustrates a review decision, not a customer outcome or a compliance determination.
Download the blank working record
The Markdown worksheet includes the procedure, the fields below, and space for findings, evidence, owners and retests. It contains no pre-approved findings. Edit it locally without an account.
- Query
- Filter state
- Result announcement
- Recovery control
- Preserved input
Record what you observed, including unknowns. Link each decision to a source and keep unresolved questions assigned to an owner. Share completed records only through an appropriate authorized route.
Primary references and scope
The references provide the legal or technical context. The procedure and worksheet are ComplyFolio working suggestions, not official forms or a certification standard.
A usable empty state does not establish the relevance or accessibility of all search results.
Connect the review to your product record
Use the free workspace for an initial public product-page review, then add the manual evidence and decisions this guide requires. A page scan cannot inspect private supplier files or complete every user journey.
Start with a public product page