A query results preview generation method and system that receives a preliminary query while a query for a search is being constructed, determines a distribution of result items that would be retrieved if the search were executed using the preliminary query, among a new result category including new result items and a previous result category including result items previously retrieved in a session, generates the query results preview using the distribution of result items that would be retrieved if the search were executed using the preliminary query, and provides the query results preview while the query for the search is being constructed and prior to execution of the search using the query.