diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/embeddable_enhanced/public/drilldowns/url_drilldown/url_drilldown_scope.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/embeddable_enhanced/public/drilldowns/url_drilldown/url_drilldown_scope.tsx
index 161ccc6444cdb..e12604791f085 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/embeddable_enhanced/public/drilldowns/url_drilldown/url_drilldown_scope.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/embeddable_enhanced/public/drilldowns/url_drilldown/url_drilldown_scope.tsx
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ interface ValueClickTriggerEventScope {
   negate: boolean;
 }
 interface RangeSelectTriggerEventScope {
-  key?: string;
+  key: string;
   from?: string | number;
   to?: string | number;
 }
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ async function getEventScopeFromRangeSelectTriggerContext(
   const { table, column: columnIndex, range } = eventScopeInput.data;
   const column = table.columns[columnIndex];
   return cleanEmptyKeys({
-    key: toPrimitiveOrUndefined(column?.meta?.aggConfigParams?.field) as string | undefined,
+    key: toPrimitiveOrUndefined(column?.meta?.aggConfigParams?.field) as string,
     from: toPrimitiveOrUndefined(range[0]) as string | number | undefined,
     to: toPrimitiveOrUndefined(range[range.length - 1]) as string | number | undefined,
   });
@@ -180,14 +180,14 @@ async function getEventScopeFromValueClickTriggerContext(
 export function getMockEventScope([trigger]: UrlTrigger[]): UrlDrilldownEventScope {
   if (trigger === SELECT_RANGE_TRIGGER) {
     return {
-      key: '__testKey__',
+      key: 'event.key',
       from: new Date(Date.now() - 15 * 60 * 1000).toISOString(), // 15 minutes ago
       to: new Date().toISOString(),
     };
   } else {
     return {
-      key: '__testKey__',
-      value: '__testValue__',
+      key: 'event.key',
+      value: 'event.value',
       negate: false,
     };
   }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ui_actions_enhanced/public/drilldowns/url_drilldown/url_drilldown_scope.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/ui_actions_enhanced/public/drilldowns/url_drilldown/url_drilldown_scope.test.ts
index 9d3df521ab8e5..f95fc5e70ae00 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ui_actions_enhanced/public/drilldowns/url_drilldown/url_drilldown_scope.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ui_actions_enhanced/public/drilldowns/url_drilldown/url_drilldown_scope.test.ts
@@ -41,12 +41,12 @@ test('buildScopeSuggestions', () => {
     )
   ).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
     Array [
-      "kibanaUrl",
-      "context.filters",
-      "context.query.query",
-      "context.query.language",
       "event.key",
       "event.value",
+      "context.filters",
+      "context.query.language",
+      "context.query.query",
+      "kibanaUrl",
     ]
   `);
 });
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ui_actions_enhanced/public/drilldowns/url_drilldown/url_drilldown_scope.ts b/x-pack/plugins/ui_actions_enhanced/public/drilldowns/url_drilldown/url_drilldown_scope.ts
index ba792c868919c..d499812a9d5ae 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ui_actions_enhanced/public/drilldowns/url_drilldown/url_drilldown_scope.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ui_actions_enhanced/public/drilldowns/url_drilldown/url_drilldown_scope.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
  */
 
+import partition from 'lodash/partition';
 import { UrlDrilldownGlobalScope, UrlDrilldownScope } from './types';
 import { getFlattenedObject } from '../../../../../../src/core/public';
 
@@ -26,6 +27,13 @@ export function buildScope<
   };
 }
 
+/**
+ * Builds list of variables for suggestion from scope
+ * keys sorted alphabetically, except {{event.$}} variables are pulled to the top
+ * @param scope
+ */
 export function buildScopeSuggestions(scope: UrlDrilldownGlobalScope): string[] {
-  return Object.keys(getFlattenedObject(scope));
+  const allKeys = Object.keys(getFlattenedObject(scope)).sort();
+  const [eventKeys, otherKeys] = partition(allKeys, (key) => key.startsWith('event'));
+  return [...eventKeys, ...otherKeys];
 }