diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ml/common/types/ml_url_generator.ts b/x-pack/plugins/ml/common/types/ml_url_generator.ts
index 3ff57fc622da4..d7fded8299952 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ml/common/types/ml_url_generator.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ml/common/types/ml_url_generator.ts
@@ -93,7 +93,18 @@ export interface ExplorerAppState {
   mlExplorerSwimlane: {
     selectedType?: 'overall' | 'viewBy';
     selectedLanes?: string[];
-    selectedTimes?: [number, number];
+    /**
+     * @deprecated legacy query param variable, use `selectedLanes`
+     */
+    selectedLane?: string[] | string;
+    /**
+     * It's possible to have only "from" time boundaries, e.g. in the Watcher URL
+     */
+    selectedTimes?: [number, number] | number;
+    /**
+     * @deprecated legacy query param variable, use `selectedTimes`
+     */
+    selectedTime?: [number, number] | number;
     showTopFieldValues?: boolean;
     viewByFieldName?: string;
     viewByPerPage?: number;
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/explorer/hooks/use_selected_cells.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/explorer/hooks/use_selected_cells.test.ts
index 08c8d11987f19..2308d4ae4f15c 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/explorer/hooks/use_selected_cells.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/explorer/hooks/use_selected_cells.test.ts
@@ -130,4 +130,38 @@ describe('useSelectedCells', () => {
       },
     });
   });
+
+  test('should extend single time point selection with a bucket interval value', () => {
+    (useTimefilter() as jest.Mocked<TimefilterContract>).getBounds.mockReturnValue({
+      min: moment(1498824778 * 1000),
+      max: moment(1502366798 * 1000),
+    });
+
+    const urlState = {
+      mlExplorerSwimlane: {
+        selectedType: 'overall',
+        selectedLanes: ['Overall'],
+        selectedTimes: 1498780800,
+        showTopFieldValues: true,
+        viewByFieldName: 'apache2.access.remote_ip',
+        viewByFromPage: 1,
+        viewByPerPage: 10,
+      },
+      mlExplorerFilter: {},
+    } as ExplorerAppState;
+
+    const setUrlState = jest.fn();
+
+    const bucketInterval = 86400;
+
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useSelectedCells(urlState, setUrlState, bucketInterval));
+
+    expect(result.current[0]).toEqual({
+      lanes: ['Overall'],
+      showTopFieldValues: true,
+      times: [1498780800, 1498867200],
+      type: 'overall',
+      viewByFieldName: 'apache2.access.remote_ip',
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/explorer/hooks/use_selected_cells.ts b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/explorer/hooks/use_selected_cells.ts
index 4ce828b0b7633..becc6197af888 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/explorer/hooks/use_selected_cells.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/explorer/hooks/use_selected_cells.ts
@@ -19,18 +19,33 @@ export const useSelectedCells = (
   const timeBounds = timeFilter.getBounds();
 
   // keep swimlane selection, restore selectedCells from AppState
-  const selectedCells = useMemo(() => {
-    return appState?.mlExplorerSwimlane?.selectedType !== undefined
-      ? {
-          type: appState.mlExplorerSwimlane.selectedType,
-          lanes: appState.mlExplorerSwimlane.selectedLanes!,
-          times: appState.mlExplorerSwimlane.selectedTimes!,
-          showTopFieldValues: appState.mlExplorerSwimlane.showTopFieldValues,
-          viewByFieldName: appState.mlExplorerSwimlane.viewByFieldName,
-        }
-      : undefined;
+  const selectedCells: AppStateSelectedCells | undefined = useMemo(() => {
+    if (!appState?.mlExplorerSwimlane?.selectedType) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    let times =
+      appState.mlExplorerSwimlane.selectedTimes ?? appState.mlExplorerSwimlane.selectedTime!;
+    if (typeof times === 'number' && bucketIntervalInSeconds) {
+      times = [times, times + bucketIntervalInSeconds];
+    }
+
+    let lanes =
+      appState.mlExplorerSwimlane.selectedLanes ?? appState.mlExplorerSwimlane.selectedLane!;
+
+    if (typeof lanes === 'string') {
+      lanes = [lanes];
+    }
+
+    return {
+      type: appState.mlExplorerSwimlane.selectedType,
+      lanes,
+      times,
+      showTopFieldValues: appState.mlExplorerSwimlane.showTopFieldValues,
+      viewByFieldName: appState.mlExplorerSwimlane.viewByFieldName,
+    } as AppStateSelectedCells;
     // TODO fix appState to use memoization
-  }, [JSON.stringify(appState?.mlExplorerSwimlane)]);
+  }, [JSON.stringify(appState?.mlExplorerSwimlane), bucketIntervalInSeconds]);
 
   const setSelectedCells = useCallback(
     (swimlaneSelectedCells?: AppStateSelectedCells) => {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/jobs/jobs_list/components/create_watch_flyout/email.html b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/jobs/jobs_list/components/create_watch_flyout/email.html
index 2e93c7eefcf1e..713a68ba0c036 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/jobs/jobs_list/components/create_watch_flyout/email.html
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/jobs/jobs_list/components/create_watch_flyout/email.html
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
     <br />
     <br />
 
-    <a href="<%= serverAddress %>#/explorer/?_g=(ml:(jobIds:!('{{ctx.payload.aggregations.bucket_results.top_bucket_hits.hits.hits.0._source.job_id}}')),time:(from:'{{ctx.payload.aggregations.bucket_results.top_bucket_hits.hits.hits.0.fields.start.0}}',mode:absolute,to:'{{ctx.payload.aggregations.bucket_results.top_bucket_hits.hits.hits.0.fields.end.0}}'))&_a=(explorer:(mlExplorerSwimlane:(selectedLane:Overall,selectedTime:{{ctx.payload.aggregations.bucket_results.top_bucket_hits.hits.hits.0.fields.timestamp_epoch.0}},selectedType:overall)),query:(query_string:(analyze_wildcard:!t,query:'*')))">
+    <a href="<%= serverAddress %>#/explorer/?_g=(ml:(jobIds:!('{{ctx.payload.aggregations.bucket_results.top_bucket_hits.hits.hits.0._source.job_id}}')),time:(from:'{{ctx.payload.aggregations.bucket_results.top_bucket_hits.hits.hits.0.fields.start.0}}',mode:absolute,to:'{{ctx.payload.aggregations.bucket_results.top_bucket_hits.hits.hits.0.fields.end.0}}'))&_a=(explorer:(mlExplorerSwimlane:(selectedLanes:!(Overall),selectedTimes:{{ctx.payload.aggregations.bucket_results.top_bucket_hits.hits.hits.0.fields.timestamp_epoch.0}},selectedType:overall)),query:(query_string:(analyze_wildcard:!t,query:'*')))">
       <%= openInAnomalyExplorerLinkText %>
     </a>
     <br />