Collect the matching inputs.
Log the query and result count after applicable availability and filter rules. Separate truly missing products from spelling, synonym and filter failures.
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Product discovery · Zero resultsZero-result search rate.
Zero-result search rate.
Give every search a useful next step.
Zero-result search rate measures submitted searches that return no matching products as a percentage of all submitted searches.
Start with your numbers.
Zero results calculator
01 / The definitionWhat is
What is
zero-result search rate?
Zero-result search rate measures submitted searches that return no matching products as a percentage of all submitted searches.
A non-empty result set can still be irrelevant. Reducing zero results by showing unrelated products is not necessarily progress.
02 / The measurementA clear formula.
A clear formula.
A useful comparison.
Zero results =Submitted searches with zero results ÷ All submitted searches × 100
Read the result in context.
Track high-volume terms and segment by language, category and applied filters. Prioritize missed demand with meaningful volume.
Document the comparison.
Keep the reporting dates, population, exclusions and calculation with every result. Show underlying counts as well as the average or rate, so a small sample does not look more conclusive than it is.
Illustrative example
From inputs to insight.
- Submitted searches with zero results
- 120
- All submitted searches
- 4,000
- Zero results
- 3%
3% of searches returned zero products. Repeated searches count as separate events under this query-level definition.
Try your numbers ↑03 / Industry benchmarksContext first.
Context first.
Targets second.
Track high-volume terms and segment by language, category and applied filters. Prioritize missed demand with meaningful volume.
We have not verified a public industry benchmark that matches the exact definition used on this page. A precise-looking generic range would hide important differences between businesses.
Build your own benchmark
Start with a comparable baseline.
01
Match the population.
Choose the category, channel or customer cohort you can compare consistently.
02
Let the data mature.
Use complete periods and allow the purchase, attribution or returns window in your definition to close.
03
Test a specific opportunity.
Set a target from your economics and observed variation. Keep conversion and contribution in view.
04 / Clerk customer evidenceReal stories.
Real stories.
Clear measurement limits.
We have not verified a published Clerk customer case with a quantified zero-result search rate result matching this page’s definition.
What would count as useful evidence?
A case reporting submitted searches with zero results and all submitted searches, with the time window and comparison method. General revenue growth or a related engagement metric does not establish this result.
Customer stories describe individual implementations. They are not industry benchmarks, guarantees or standardized causal tests.
05 / Put it into practice
Give every search a useful next step.
Fix synonyms and product data first; offer clearly explained alternatives when an exact match is unavailable.
06 / Common questionsA little more
A little more
clarity.
How do I calculate zero-result search rate?
Submitted searches with zero results ÷ All submitted searches × 100. 3% of searches returned zero products. Repeated searches count as separate events under this query-level definition.
What should I check before comparing results?
A non-empty result set can still be irrelevant. Reducing zero results by showing unrelated products is not necessarily progress.
What is a good zero-result search rate?
Track high-volume terms and segment by language, category and applied filters. Prioritize missed demand with meaningful volume.
Does a higher attributed result prove incremental growth?
No. Attribution connects an interaction with an outcome under a reporting rule. To estimate what a change added, compare randomly assigned treatment and control groups using the same eligible population and a predefined measurement window.
Keep learning
Connect the numbers.
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