diff --git a/pkg/services/ngalert/state/template.go b/pkg/services/ngalert/state/template.go
index b6e8bb11a00..b5f8458711e 100644
--- a/pkg/services/ngalert/state/template.go
+++ b/pkg/services/ngalert/state/template.go
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func graphLink(rawQuery string) string {
 	escapedDatasource := url.QueryEscape(q.Datasource)
 
 	return fmt.Sprintf(
-		`/explore?left=["now-1h","now",%[1]q,{"datasource":%[1]q,"expr":%q,"instant":false,"range":true}]`, escapedDatasource, escapedExpression)
+		`/explore?left={"datasource":%[1]q,"queries":[{"datasource":%[1]q,"expr":%q,"instant":false,"range":true,"refId":"A"}],"range":{"from":"now-1h","to":"now"}}`, escapedDatasource, escapedExpression)
 }
 
 func tableLink(rawQuery string) string {
@@ -120,5 +120,5 @@ func tableLink(rawQuery string) string {
 	escapedDatasource := url.QueryEscape(q.Datasource)
 
 	return fmt.Sprintf(
-		`/explore?left=["now-1h","now",%[1]q,{"datasource":%[1]q,"expr":%q,"instant":true,"range":false}]`, escapedDatasource, escapedExpression)
+		`/explore?left={"datasource":%[1]q,"queries":[{"datasource":%[1]q,"expr":%q,"instant":true,"range":false,"refId":"A"}],"range":{"from":"now-1h","to":"now"}}`, escapedDatasource, escapedExpression)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/services/ngalert/state/template_test.go b/pkg/services/ngalert/state/template_test.go
index 398349b61c3..ae5538bfdc0 100644
--- a/pkg/services/ngalert/state/template_test.go
+++ b/pkg/services/ngalert/state/template_test.go
@@ -359,11 +359,11 @@ func TestExpandTemplate(t *testing.T) {
 	}, {
 		name:     "graphLink",
 		text:     `{{ graphLink "{\"expr\": \"up\", \"datasource\": \"gdev-prometheus\"}" }}`,
-		expected: `/explore?left=["now-1h","now","gdev-prometheus",{"datasource":"gdev-prometheus","expr":"up","instant":false,"range":true}]`,
+		expected: `/explore?left={"datasource":"gdev-prometheus","queries":[{"datasource":"gdev-prometheus","expr":"up","instant":false,"range":true,"refId":"A"}],"range":{"from":"now-1h","to":"now"}}`,
 	}, {
 		name:     "graphLink should escape both the expression and the datasource",
 		text:     `{{ graphLink "{\"expr\": \"process_open_fds > 0\", \"datasource\": \"gdev prometheus\"}" }}`,
-		expected: `/explore?left=["now-1h","now","gdev+prometheus",{"datasource":"gdev+prometheus","expr":"process_open_fds+%3E+0","instant":false,"range":true}]`,
+		expected: `/explore?left={"datasource":"gdev+prometheus","queries":[{"datasource":"gdev+prometheus","expr":"process_open_fds+%3E+0","instant":false,"range":true,"refId":"A"}],"range":{"from":"now-1h","to":"now"}}`,
 	}, {
 		name:     "check that graphLink returns an empty string when the query is not formatted correctly",
 		text:     "{{ graphLink \"up\" }}",
@@ -371,11 +371,11 @@ func TestExpandTemplate(t *testing.T) {
 	}, {
 		name:     "tableLink",
 		text:     `{{ tableLink "{\"expr\": \"up\", \"datasource\": \"gdev-prometheus\"}" }}`,
-		expected: `/explore?left=["now-1h","now","gdev-prometheus",{"datasource":"gdev-prometheus","expr":"up","instant":true,"range":false}]`,
+		expected: `/explore?left={"datasource":"gdev-prometheus","queries":[{"datasource":"gdev-prometheus","expr":"up","instant":true,"range":false,"refId":"A"}],"range":{"from":"now-1h","to":"now"}}`,
 	}, {
 		name:     "tableLink should escape both the expression and the datasource",
 		text:     `{{ tableLink "{\"expr\": \"process_open_fds > 0\", \"datasource\": \"gdev prometheus\"}" }}`,
-		expected: `/explore?left=["now-1h","now","gdev+prometheus",{"datasource":"gdev+prometheus","expr":"process_open_fds+%3E+0","instant":true,"range":false}]`,
+		expected: `/explore?left={"datasource":"gdev+prometheus","queries":[{"datasource":"gdev+prometheus","expr":"process_open_fds+%3E+0","instant":true,"range":false,"refId":"A"}],"range":{"from":"now-1h","to":"now"}}`,
 	}, {
 		name:     "check that tableLink returns an empty string  when the query is not formatted correctly",
 		text:     "{{ tableLink \"up\" }}",
diff --git a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/rule-viewer/RuleViewerVisualization.tsx b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/rule-viewer/RuleViewerVisualization.tsx
index 4739f2e526b..c743f699a71 100644
--- a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/rule-viewer/RuleViewerVisualization.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/components/rule-viewer/RuleViewerVisualization.tsx
@@ -136,7 +136,11 @@ function createExploreLink(settings: DataSourceInstanceSettings, query: AlertQue
   const queryParams = { ...rest, datasource: name };
 
   return urlUtil.renderUrl(`${config.appSubUrl}/explore`, {
-    left: JSON.stringify(['now-1h', 'now', name, queryParams]),
+    left: JSON.stringify({
+      datasource: name,
+      queries: [{ refId: 'A', datasource: name, expr: queryParams }],
+      range: { from: 'now-1h', to: 'now' },
+    }),
   });
 }
 
diff --git a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/utils/misc.ts b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/utils/misc.ts
index 66ea5f64292..181ccd33dfe 100644
--- a/public/app/features/alerting/unified/utils/misc.ts
+++ b/public/app/features/alerting/unified/utils/misc.ts
@@ -27,13 +27,11 @@ export function createViewLink(ruleSource: RulesSource, rule: CombinedRule, retu
 
 export function createExploreLink(dataSourceName: string, query: string) {
   return createUrl(`/explore`, {
-    left: JSON.stringify([
-      'now-1h',
-      'now',
-      dataSourceName,
-      { datasource: dataSourceName, expr: query },
-      { ui: [true, true, true, 'none'] },
-    ]),
+    left: JSON.stringify({
+      datasource: dataSourceName,
+      queries: [{ refId: 'A', datasource: dataSourceName, expr: query }],
+      range: { from: 'now-1h', to: 'now' },
+    }),
   });
 }