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Module 5: Search results presentation

Module 5: Checkpoint summary

All of the requirements and their conformance levels for this module are presented here. This summary can be used as a quick checklist for evaluating web pages.

Checkpoint 1—Title tag

Conformance: Mandatory

On search results pages the title tag must comprise of the search terms followed by the agency name.

Example: Jobs—Queensland Government

Title tag refers to the <HTML> title element in the page that defines the title of the document. This element defines a title in the browser toolbar, provides a title for the page when it is added to favourites and displays a title for the page in search engine results.

Checkpoint 2—Page header and footer

Conformance: Mandatory

The page header and footer must comply with the relevant requirements of Module 2: Screen layout, and be consistent with the rest of the site.  See figure 2 and figure 3.

Checkpoint 3—Three-column layout

Conformance: Mandatory

The search results page must use the CUE 3-column layout and comply with the following:

  • Left column must remain blank.
  • No section navigation is to be displayed on search results pages.
  • The right column is reserved for search related utilities, otherwise this column must remain blank (e.g. search specific online services, related searches, search results rating).

Checkpoint 4—Breadcrumbs

Conformance: Desirable (Mandatory if relevant)

Breadcrumbs must be displayed on search results pages, if the site uses breadcrumbs, to ensure consistency with the rest of the site.

Checkpoint 5—Site utilities search box

Conformance: Mandatory

The site utilities search box must comply with the requirements of Module 2: Screen layout—Checkpoint 12—Search. See figure 5 below.

Checkpoint 6—Page title (heading)

Conformance: Mandatory

The page title or page heading of all search results pages must conform to the following:

Required format:

  • Must be 'Search results'.
  • Must be a H1.
  • The H1 styling must be consistent with the rest of the site.

Required placement:

  • Must be located at the top of the page below the breadcrumbs and above the search box group, refer to figure 6.

Checkpoint 7—Search box group

Conformance: Mandatory

The search box group is a group of elements including a search input field, search button, search scope radio buttons and links to advanced search and search help (if available). The search box group provides search input fields at both the top and bottom of the search results page in addition to the site utilities search box available in the page header.

Required format:

  • Text input field must be 41 characters wide.
  • Text of the submit button must be 'Search'.
  • Search box must include the original search term.
  • Link to advanced search must be placed to the right of the search button, first line (where advanced search is available).
  • Link to search help must be placed to the right of the search button, second line (where search help is available).

Refer to figure 7 and figure 8.

Required placement:

  • 1 instance must be located at the top of the page below the page title and above the result set description, refer figure 7.
  • 1 instance must be located at the bottom of the page below the pagination, refer figure 8.

Checkpoint 8—Search scope

Conformance: Mandatory

The search scope allows the user to choose whether to search the site they are currently browsing or search the whole of Queensland Government.

Required format:

  • Must provide two radio buttons, one to search 'this site' and one to search 'all Queensland Government'.
  • Radio buttons must be preceded with the text 'Search:'.
  • Search scope must default to the local site search. It must never default to the all Queensland Government search.

Required placement:

  • Radio buttons must be placed immediately below the search text input field, refer figure 9.

Checkpoint 9—Result set description

Conformance: Mandatory

The result set description advises the user of the total number of results returned for their search and which of these results is being displayed on the page.

For example:

Displaying search results 11–20 of 23,467 for jobs

This example indicates that 23,467 results were returned and that results 11 through 20 of these are being displayed on the search results page.

Required format:

  • Must indicate the range of the results currently displayed on the page, the total number of results, and the search terms used.

e.g. Displaying search results 1–10 of 23,467 for jobs

In the example, range of results is 1–10, total number of results is 23,467 and jobs is the search term.

  • Bold text must be used to indicate the results range, results total and search terms.
  • An en dash must be used between the numbers in the results range.

e.g. Displaying search results 1–10 of 23,467 for 'search terms'

(refer Queensland Government Style Guide p.109)

  • Must place single horizontal lines above and below result set description.

Required placement:

  • Result set description must be displayed at the top of the page below the search box group, refer figure 10.

Checkpoint 10—Search result entries

Conformance: Mandatory

Search result entries provide the user with information about and links to the items that have been returned by their search.

Required format:

  • Must be displayed as a vertical list.
  • Must be coded as an ordered list.
  • Must present only 10 results per page unless there are fewer than 10 results.
  • Must highlight search terms using bold text.

Required placement:

  • Search result entries must be displayed below the result set description or below the 'spelling suggestions' (if relevant) and above the pagination, refer figure 11.

Checkpoint 11—Search result title

Conformance: Mandatory

The search result title is linked to the search result and provides a brief description of the search result.

Required format:

  • Must be hyperlinked to the search result.
  • Text size must be greater than the description/summary text size (within accessibility guidelines).
  • Must use the best title source available from result destination (e.g. DC.Title where possible).
  • Must include the file size and type element for non-web pages only (e.g. PPT, DOC, PDF, etc.). Refer to Checkpoint 12—File size and type for further detail.

Required placement:

  • The search result title must comprise the first element of the first line of the search result entry, refer figure 12.

Checkpoint 12—File size and type

Conformance: Mandatory

Required format:

  • Text size must be greater than the description/summary text size (within accessibility guidelines).
  • Must be part of the search result title hyperlink, styled so that it does not display as part of the link.
  • Must be enclosed in brackets (parentheses).
  • Must be in the format ( 'filetype', 'numeric size', 'unit of measure') e.g. (PPT, 1.7MB).
  • File unit must be in capitals e.g. KB, MB, GB.

Required placement:

  • File type indicator must be included as the second element of the search result title line, after the title but before any additional elements such as the 'featured search' '(Recommended)', refer figure 13.

Checkpoint 13—Description/summary

Conformance: Mandatory

The description/summary text provides a more detailed description of the search result based on either metadata such as the meta description tag or content within the body of the result.

Required format:

  • Must have a maximum length of 150 characters.
  • Text size must be equal to the standard body text size for the site.

Required placement:

  • Description/summary must be displayed below the search result title and above the information line, refer figure 14.

Checkpoint 14—Information line

Conformance: Mandatory

The information line provides the full unlinked URL and modified date of the search result.

Required format:

  • Must be a single line of text.
  • Each element must be separated with an en dash.

Required placement:

  • Information line must be displayed immediately below the summary/description, refer figure 15.

URL

The URL provides the web address of the search result.

Required format:

  • Must not be hyperlinked.
  • Must not be underlined.
  • Text size must be less than or equal to the description/summary text size (within accessibility guidelines).
  • Text must be coloured green.

Required placement:

  • URL must be displayed as the first element of the information line, refer to figure 15.

Modified date

The modified date provides the user with an indication of when the information provided by the search result was last updated.

Required format:

  • Must display the modified date (not the created or review dates).
  • Date must be formatted as per the CUE Standard.
  • Text size must be less than or equal to the description/summary text size (within accessibility guidelines).
  • Text must be the default text colour of the site.

Required placement:

  • Modified date must be displayed as the second element of the information line, refer to figure 15.

Checkpoint 15—Pagination

Conformance: Mandatory

The pagination provides the user with links to assist with navigating through the search results pages.

Required format:

  • Must display a linked page number for each search results page.
  • Must display 10 search results pages at a time unless there are fewer than 10 pages of results.
  • The current page number must not be linked.
  • Must provide next and previous links at either end of the pagination element and must use the terms 'Next' and 'Previous' for these.
  • The first search results page must not display the 'Previous' link.
  • The last search results page must not display the 'Next' link.
  • All other search results pages must have both 'Next' and 'Previous'.

Required placement:

  • The pagination element must be displayed at the bottom of the search results page below last search result item, refer to figure 16.

Checkpoint 16—No search results pages

Conformance: Mandatory

'Simple search' results page element.

  • Standard CUE elements.
  • Search box group.

Checkpoint 17—Featured search results

Conformance: Desirable (mandatory if relevant)

'Featured search results', if returned on a 'no search results' page, must be displayed as per Checkpoint 23—Featured search results, although placement must be below the search box group and above the 'no search results' message text or 'spelling suggestion'. Refer to figure 18 and figure 19.

Checkpoint 18—Spelling suggestions (if relevant)

Conformance: Desirable (mandatory if relevant)

'Spelling suggestions' when presented on a 'no search results' page, if relevant, must be displayed as per Checkpoint 24—Spelling suggestions although placement must be below the Search box group, or 'featured search' results, if returned, and above the 'no search results' message text, refer to figures figure 20 and figure 21.

Checkpoint 19—No search results message text

Conformance: Mandatory

The 'no search results' message text must be displayed below the Search box group, 'featured search' result or 'spelling suggestion', whichever comes last, refer to the figures below.

Example 'no search results message text':

'Your search for (insert search terms) did not return any results. Please try the search suggestions below.'

Checkpoint 20—Search tips

Conformance: Mandatory

Search tips must be provided on a 'no search results' page to assist users in troubleshooting, fine tuning or amending their search to return improved results.

The search tips section must conform to the following, refer to the images in Checkpoint 19:

  • Must have a heading of 'Tips for searching'.
  • Must present the following search tip items
    • Check the spelling of your keywords.
    • Try different keywords.
    • Try more general keywords.
    • Select the option to search all Queensland Government to broaden your search.
    • Further search help.*

Additional search tip items may be listed if relevant to the site.

* Required only if further search help is available on the site.

Checkpoint 21—Alternative search options

Conformance: Mandatory

Alternative search options must be provided on a no search results page to further assist users to obtain the information they are seeking. The Alternative search options section must conform to the following (refer to figures 19 to 22 from Checkpoint 19):

  • Must have a heading of 'Alternatively you can try:'
  • Must present the following search tip items
    • Take a look at the sitemap.
      • the term sitemap must be linked to the site's sitemap if one exists.
  • Using the site's menus and navigation.
  • Feedback

Checkpoint 22—Alternative 'no search results' message text

Conformance: Desirable (mandatory if relevant)

An alternate 'no search results' message text must be displayed if 'featured search' results have been returned despite no search results being returned by the search engine, refer to figures 19 to 22 from Checkpoint 19—No search results message text.

Example 'no search results' message text when 'featured search' results are returned:


'Your search for <search term/s> did not return any results from our search index. You may like to try the recommended results above or the search suggestions below.'

Checkpoint 23—Featured search results

Conformance: Mandatory

'Featured search' results are recommended results displayed on a search results page when the search terms match predefined conditions.

Required format:

  • Must have '(Recommended)' as the last element in the Search result title line.
  • '(Recommended)' must have a text size less than or equal to the Search result title text size (within accessibility guidelines).
  • Must not have a heading (e.g. Featured results:).
  • 'Spelling suggestions' appearing on 'featured search' results pages must be displayed as per Checkpoint 18—Spelling suggestions.

Required placement:

  • 'Featured search' results must be displayed below the Search box group and above the Result set description, refer to figure 26.

Checkpoint 24—Spelling suggestions display

Conformance: Mandatory

'Spelling suggestions' are spelling alternatives displayed on a search results page when any of the search terms are not recognised by the search engine as valid dictionary terms.

Required format:

  • Must be a single line of text.
  • First element of the line must be the text 'Did you mean:'.
  • Last element of the line must be a question mark.
  • Text size must be less than or equal to the description/summary text size (within accessibility guidelines).
  • Must include the search terms.
  • Corrected term must be bold and italicised.
  • Search terms must be linked to perform a new search using the corrected search phrase.

Required placement:

  • 'Spelling suggestions' must be displayed below the result set description and above the search result entries, refer to figure 27.

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Last updated:
11 February 2020