diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/common/index.ts b/src/plugins/discover/common/index.ts
index 98ce5fc3b0b2b..173264aee731e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/discover/common/index.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/common/index.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
  * Side Public License, v 1.
  */
 
+export const APP_ICON = 'discoverApp';
 export const DEFAULT_COLUMNS_SETTING = 'defaultColumns';
 export const SAMPLE_SIZE_SETTING = 'discover:sampleSize';
 export const SORT_DEFAULT_ORDER_SETTING = 'discover:sort:defaultOrder';
diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/common/services/saved_searches/index.ts b/src/plugins/discover/common/services/saved_searches/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..014fdb31ed438
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/common/services/saved_searches/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
+ * 2.0 and the Server Side Public License, v 1; you may not use this file except
+ * in compliance with, at your election, the Elastic License 2.0 or the Server
+ * Side Public License, v 1.
+ */
+
+export { getSavedSearchUrl, getSavedSearchFullPathUrl } from './saved_searches_url';
diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/common/services/saved_searches/saved_searches_url.test.ts b/src/plugins/discover/common/services/saved_searches/saved_searches_url.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..81f4498939b98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/common/services/saved_searches/saved_searches_url.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
+ * 2.0 and the Server Side Public License, v 1; you may not use this file except
+ * in compliance with, at your election, the Elastic License 2.0 or the Server
+ * Side Public License, v 1.
+ */
+
+import { getSavedSearchUrl, getSavedSearchFullPathUrl } from './saved_searches_url';
+
+describe('saved_searches_url', () => {
+  describe('getSavedSearchUrl', () => {
+    test('should return valid saved search url', () => {
+      expect(getSavedSearchUrl()).toBe('#/');
+      expect(getSavedSearchUrl('id')).toBe('#/view/id');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('getSavedSearchFullPathUrl', () => {
+    test('should return valid full path url', () => {
+      expect(getSavedSearchFullPathUrl()).toBe('/app/discover#/');
+      expect(getSavedSearchFullPathUrl('id')).toBe('/app/discover#/view/id');
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/common/services/saved_searches/saved_searches_url.ts b/src/plugins/discover/common/services/saved_searches/saved_searches_url.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..cc5ecdb61f565
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/common/services/saved_searches/saved_searches_url.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
+ * 2.0 and the Server Side Public License, v 1; you may not use this file except
+ * in compliance with, at your election, the Elastic License 2.0 or the Server
+ * Side Public License, v 1.
+ */
+
+export const getSavedSearchUrl = (id?: string) => (id ? `#/view/${encodeURIComponent(id)}` : '#/');
+
+export const getSavedSearchFullPathUrl = (id?: string) => `/app/discover${getSavedSearchUrl(id)}`;
diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/public/services/saved_searches/saved_searches_utils.test.ts b/src/plugins/discover/public/services/saved_searches/saved_searches_utils.test.ts
index 4a4713badb807..9b42d7557b05c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/discover/public/services/saved_searches/saved_searches_utils.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/public/services/saved_searches/saved_searches_utils.test.ts
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@
  */
 
 import {
-  getSavedSearchUrl,
-  getSavedSearchFullPathUrl,
   fromSavedSearchAttributes,
   toSavedSearchAttributes,
   throwErrorOnSavedSearchUrlConflict,
@@ -19,20 +17,6 @@ import { createSearchSourceMock } from '@kbn/data-plugin/public/mocks';
 import type { SavedSearchAttributes, SavedSearch } from './types';
 
 describe('saved_searches_utils', () => {
-  describe('getSavedSearchUrl', () => {
-    test('should return valid saved search url', () => {
-      expect(getSavedSearchUrl()).toBe('#/');
-      expect(getSavedSearchUrl('id')).toBe('#/view/id');
-    });
-  });
-
-  describe('getSavedSearchFullPathUrl', () => {
-    test('should return valid full path url', () => {
-      expect(getSavedSearchFullPathUrl()).toBe('/app/discover#/');
-      expect(getSavedSearchFullPathUrl('id')).toBe('/app/discover#/view/id');
-    });
-  });
-
   describe('fromSavedSearchAttributes', () => {
     test('should convert attributes into SavedSearch', () => {
       const attributes: SavedSearchAttributes = {
diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/public/services/saved_searches/saved_searches_utils.ts b/src/plugins/discover/public/services/saved_searches/saved_searches_utils.ts
index 4dbb84613ead8..26b3c0b7cf9b5 100644
--- a/src/plugins/discover/public/services/saved_searches/saved_searches_utils.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/public/services/saved_searches/saved_searches_utils.ts
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@
 import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
 import type { SavedSearchAttributes, SavedSearch } from './types';
 
-export const getSavedSearchUrl = (id?: string) => (id ? `#/view/${encodeURIComponent(id)}` : '#/');
-
-export const getSavedSearchFullPathUrl = (id?: string) => `/app/discover${getSavedSearchUrl(id)}`;
+export {
+  getSavedSearchUrl,
+  getSavedSearchFullPathUrl,
+} from '../../../common/services/saved_searches';
 
 export const getSavedSearchUrlConflictMessage = async (savedSearch: SavedSearch) =>
   i18n.translate('discover.savedSearchEmbeddable.legacyURLConflict.errorMessage', {
diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/server/plugin.ts b/src/plugins/discover/server/plugin.ts
index 9147f533d28d6..888fcf55c2351 100644
--- a/src/plugins/discover/server/plugin.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/server/plugin.ts
@@ -8,15 +8,18 @@
 
 import { CoreSetup, CoreStart, Plugin } from '@kbn/core/server';
 import type { PluginSetup as DataPluginSetup } from '@kbn/data-plugin/server';
+import type { HomeServerPluginSetup } from '@kbn/home-plugin/server';
 import { getUiSettings } from './ui_settings';
 import { capabilitiesProvider } from './capabilities_provider';
 import { getSavedSearchObjectType } from './saved_objects';
+import { registerSampleData } from './sample_data';
 
 export class DiscoverServerPlugin implements Plugin<object, object> {
   public setup(
     core: CoreSetup,
     plugins: {
       data: DataPluginSetup;
+      home?: HomeServerPluginSetup;
     }
   ) {
     const getSearchSourceMigrations = plugins.data.search.searchSource.getAllMigrations.bind(
@@ -26,6 +29,10 @@ export class DiscoverServerPlugin implements Plugin<object, object> {
     core.uiSettings.register(getUiSettings(core.docLinks));
     core.savedObjects.registerType(getSavedSearchObjectType(getSearchSourceMigrations));
 
+    if (plugins.home) {
+      registerSampleData(plugins.home.sampleData);
+    }
+
     return {};
   }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/server/sample_data/index.ts b/src/plugins/discover/server/sample_data/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..43edd42293edf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/server/sample_data/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
+ * 2.0 and the Server Side Public License, v 1; you may not use this file except
+ * in compliance with, at your election, the Elastic License 2.0 or the Server
+ * Side Public License, v 1.
+ */
+
+export { registerSampleData } from './register_sample_data';
diff --git a/src/plugins/discover/server/sample_data/register_sample_data.ts b/src/plugins/discover/server/sample_data/register_sample_data.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a1ff9951d9179
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/discover/server/sample_data/register_sample_data.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
+ * 2.0 and the Server Side Public License, v 1; you may not use this file except
+ * in compliance with, at your election, the Elastic License 2.0 or the Server
+ * Side Public License, v 1.
+ */
+
+import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
+import type { SampleDataRegistrySetup } from '@kbn/home-plugin/server';
+import { APP_ICON } from '../../common';
+import { getSavedSearchFullPathUrl } from '../../common/services/saved_searches';
+
+function getDiscoverPathForSampleDataset(objId: string) {
+  // TODO: remove the time range from the URL query when saved search objects start supporting time range configuration
+  // https://github.com/elastic/kibana/issues/9761
+  return `${getSavedSearchFullPathUrl(objId)}?_g=(time:(from:now-7d,to:now))`;
+}
+
+export function registerSampleData(sampleDataRegistry: SampleDataRegistrySetup) {
+  const linkLabel = i18n.translate('discover.sampleData.viewLinkLabel', {
+    defaultMessage: 'Discover',
+  });
+  const { addAppLinksToSampleDataset, getSampleDatasets } = sampleDataRegistry;
+  const sampleDatasets = getSampleDatasets();
+
+  sampleDatasets.forEach((sampleDataset) => {
+    const sampleSavedSearchObject = sampleDataset.savedObjects.find(
+      (object) => object.type === 'search'
+    );
+
+    if (sampleSavedSearchObject) {
+      addAppLinksToSampleDataset(sampleDataset.id, [
+        {
+          sampleObject: sampleSavedSearchObject,
+          getPath: getDiscoverPathForSampleDataset,
+          label: linkLabel,
+          icon: APP_ICON,
+          order: -1,
+        },
+      ]);
+    }
+  });
+}
diff --git a/src/plugins/home/public/application/components/__snapshots__/sample_data_view_data_button.test.js.snap b/src/plugins/home/public/application/components/__snapshots__/sample_data_view_data_button.test.js.snap
index d9e341394ee00..0d634049305ad 100644
--- a/src/plugins/home/public/application/components/__snapshots__/sample_data_view_data_button.test.js.snap
+++ b/src/plugins/home/public/application/components/__snapshots__/sample_data_view_data_button.test.js.snap
@@ -57,6 +57,90 @@ exports[`should render popover when appLinks is not empty 1`] = `
 </EuiPopover>
 `;
 
+exports[`should render popover with ordered appLinks 1`] = `
+<EuiPopover
+  anchorPosition="downCenter"
+  button={
+    <EuiButton
+      aria-label="View Sample eCommerce orders"
+      iconSide="right"
+      iconType="arrowDown"
+      onClick={[Function]}
+    >
+      View data
+    </EuiButton>
+  }
+  closePopover={[Function]}
+  data-test-subj="launchSampleDataSetecommerce"
+  display="inlineBlock"
+  hasArrow={true}
+  id="sampleDataLinksecommerce"
+  isOpen={false}
+  ownFocus={true}
+  panelPaddingSize="none"
+>
+  <EuiContextMenu
+    initialPanelId={0}
+    panels={
+      Array [
+        Object {
+          "id": 0,
+          "items": Array [
+            Object {
+              "href": "rootapp/myAppPath",
+              "icon": <EuiIcon
+                size="m"
+                type="logoKibana"
+              />,
+              "name": "myAppLabel[-1]",
+              "onClick": [Function],
+            },
+            Object {
+              "data-test-subj": "viewSampleDataSetecommerce-dashboard",
+              "href": "root/app/dashboards#/view/722b74f0-b882-11e8-a6d9-e546fe2bba5f",
+              "icon": <EuiIcon
+                size="m"
+                type="dashboardApp"
+              />,
+              "name": "Dashboard",
+              "onClick": [Function],
+            },
+            Object {
+              "href": "rootapp/myAppPath",
+              "icon": <EuiIcon
+                size="m"
+                type="logoKibana"
+              />,
+              "name": "myAppLabel[3]",
+              "onClick": [Function],
+            },
+            Object {
+              "href": "rootapp/myAppPath",
+              "icon": <EuiIcon
+                size="m"
+                type="logoKibana"
+              />,
+              "name": "myAppLabel[5]",
+              "onClick": [Function],
+            },
+            Object {
+              "href": "rootapp/myAppPath",
+              "icon": <EuiIcon
+                size="m"
+                type="logoKibana"
+              />,
+              "name": "myAppLabel",
+              "onClick": [Function],
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+      ]
+    }
+    size="m"
+  />
+</EuiPopover>
+`;
+
 exports[`should render simple button when appLinks is empty 1`] = `
 <EuiButton
   aria-label="View Sample eCommerce orders"
diff --git a/src/plugins/home/public/application/components/sample_data_set_card.js b/src/plugins/home/public/application/components/sample_data_set_card.js
index 10c05a27a9ce6..d482f5ce23e6e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/home/public/application/components/sample_data_set_card.js
+++ b/src/plugins/home/public/application/components/sample_data_set_card.js
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ SampleDataSetCard.propTypes = {
       path: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
       label: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
       icon: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+      order: PropTypes.number,
     })
   ).isRequired,
   status: PropTypes.oneOf([INSTALLED_STATUS, UNINSTALLED_STATUS, 'unknown']).isRequired,
diff --git a/src/plugins/home/public/application/components/sample_data_view_data_button.js b/src/plugins/home/public/application/components/sample_data_view_data_button.js
index dbf7548ca71dc..f38acc103a9c2 100644
--- a/src/plugins/home/public/application/components/sample_data_view_data_button.js
+++ b/src/plugins/home/public/application/components/sample_data_view_data_button.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 import React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
+import { sortBy } from 'lodash';
 import { EuiButton, EuiContextMenu, EuiIcon, EuiPopover } from '@elastic/eui';
 
 import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
@@ -47,7 +48,6 @@ export class SampleDataViewDataButton extends React.Component {
       }
     );
     const dashboardPath = `/app/dashboards#/view/${this.props.overviewDashboard}`;
-    const prefixedDashboardPath = this.addBasePath(dashboardPath);
 
     if (this.props.appLinks.length === 0) {
       return (
@@ -61,12 +61,24 @@ export class SampleDataViewDataButton extends React.Component {
       );
     }
 
-    const additionalItems = this.props.appLinks.map(({ path, label, icon }) => {
+    const dashboardAppLink = {
+      path: dashboardPath,
+      label: i18n.translate('home.sampleDataSetCard.dashboardLinkLabel', {
+        defaultMessage: 'Dashboard',
+      }),
+      icon: 'dashboardApp',
+      order: 0,
+      'data-test-subj': `viewSampleDataSet${this.props.id}-dashboard`,
+    };
+
+    const sortedItems = sortBy([dashboardAppLink, ...this.props.appLinks], 'order');
+    const items = sortedItems.map(({ path, label, icon, ...rest }) => {
       return {
         name: label,
         icon: <EuiIcon type={icon} size="m" />,
         href: this.addBasePath(path),
         onClick: createAppNavigationHandler(path),
+        ...(rest['data-test-subj'] ? { 'data-test-subj': rest['data-test-subj'] } : {}),
       };
     });
 
@@ -75,18 +87,7 @@ export class SampleDataViewDataButton extends React.Component {
     const panels = [
       {
         id: 0,
-        items: [
-          {
-            name: i18n.translate('home.sampleDataSetCard.dashboardLinkLabel', {
-              defaultMessage: 'Dashboard',
-            }),
-            icon: <EuiIcon type="dashboardApp" size="m" />,
-            href: prefixedDashboardPath,
-            onClick: createAppNavigationHandler(dashboardPath),
-            'data-test-subj': `viewSampleDataSet${this.props.id}-dashboard`,
-          },
-          ...additionalItems,
-        ],
+        items,
       },
     ];
     const popoverButton = (
@@ -124,6 +125,7 @@ SampleDataViewDataButton.propTypes = {
       path: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
       label: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
       icon: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+      order: PropTypes.number,
     })
   ).isRequired,
 };
diff --git a/src/plugins/home/public/application/components/sample_data_view_data_button.test.js b/src/plugins/home/public/application/components/sample_data_view_data_button.test.js
index b097b5e322500..f3cfd5a7a661e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/home/public/application/components/sample_data_view_data_button.test.js
+++ b/src/plugins/home/public/application/components/sample_data_view_data_button.test.js
@@ -48,3 +48,41 @@ test('should render popover when appLinks is not empty', () => {
   );
   expect(component).toMatchSnapshot(); // eslint-disable-line
 });
+
+test('should render popover with ordered appLinks', () => {
+  const appLinks = [
+    {
+      path: 'app/myAppPath',
+      label: 'myAppLabel[-1]',
+      icon: 'logoKibana',
+      order: -1, // to position it above Dashboard link
+    },
+    {
+      path: 'app/myAppPath',
+      label: 'myAppLabel',
+      icon: 'logoKibana',
+    },
+    {
+      path: 'app/myAppPath',
+      label: 'myAppLabel[5]',
+      icon: 'logoKibana',
+      order: 5,
+    },
+    {
+      path: 'app/myAppPath',
+      label: 'myAppLabel[3]',
+      icon: 'logoKibana',
+      order: 3,
+    },
+  ];
+
+  const component = shallow(
+    <SampleDataViewDataButton
+      id="ecommerce"
+      name="Sample eCommerce orders"
+      overviewDashboard="722b74f0-b882-11e8-a6d9-e546fe2bba5f"
+      appLinks={appLinks}
+    />
+  );
+  expect(component).toMatchSnapshot(); // eslint-disable-line
+});
diff --git a/src/plugins/home/server/services/sample_data/lib/sample_dataset_registry_types.ts b/src/plugins/home/server/services/sample_data/lib/sample_dataset_registry_types.ts
index 8d26d08460b5b..9b1212e13b024 100644
--- a/src/plugins/home/server/services/sample_data/lib/sample_dataset_registry_types.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/home/server/services/sample_data/lib/sample_dataset_registry_types.ts
@@ -58,4 +58,11 @@ export interface AppLinkData {
    * The icon for this app link.
    */
   icon: string;
+  /**
+   * Index of the links (ascending order, smallest will be displayed first).
+   * Used for ordering in the dropdown.
+   *
+   * @remark links without order defined will be displayed last
+   */
+  order?: number;
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/home/server/services/sample_data/routes/list.ts b/src/plugins/home/server/services/sample_data/routes/list.ts
index 39690b3944d0c..a83ee7a57c432 100644
--- a/src/plugins/home/server/services/sample_data/routes/list.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/home/server/services/sample_data/routes/list.ts
@@ -35,12 +35,12 @@ export const createListRoute = (
             ?.foundObjectId ?? id;
 
         const appLinks = (appLinksMap.get(sampleDataset.id) ?? []).map((data) => {
-          const { sampleObject, getPath, label, icon } = data;
+          const { sampleObject, getPath, label, icon, order } = data;
           if (sampleObject === null) {
-            return { path: getPath(''), label, icon };
+            return { path: getPath(''), label, icon, order };
           }
           const objectId = findObjectId(sampleObject.type, sampleObject.id);
-          return { path: getPath(objectId), label, icon };
+          return { path: getPath(objectId), label, icon, order };
         });
         const sampleDataStatus = await getSampleDatasetStatus(
           context,
diff --git a/test/functional/page_objects/home_page.ts b/test/functional/page_objects/home_page.ts
index 1e3e6a9634f4c..4acd8a6e10e95 100644
--- a/test/functional/page_objects/home_page.ts
+++ b/test/functional/page_objects/home_page.ts
@@ -78,6 +78,11 @@ export class HomePageObject extends FtrService {
     });
   }
 
+  async launchSampleDiscover(id: string) {
+    await this.launchSampleDataSet(id);
+    await this.find.clickByLinkText('Discover');
+  }
+
   async launchSampleDashboard(id: string) {
     await this.launchSampleDataSet(id);
     await this.find.clickByLinkText('Dashboard');
diff --git a/x-pack/test/upgrade/apps/discover/discover_smoke_tests.ts b/x-pack/test/upgrade/apps/discover/discover_smoke_tests.ts
index 150458919d41d..1d2df7a703161 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/upgrade/apps/discover/discover_smoke_tests.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/upgrade/apps/discover/discover_smoke_tests.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 import expect from '@kbn/expect';
 import { FtrProviderContext } from '../../ftr_provider_context';
 
-export default function ({ getPageObjects, getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
+export default function ({ getPageObjects }: FtrProviderContext) {
   const PageObjects = getPageObjects(['common', 'header', 'home', 'discover', 'timePicker']);
 
   describe('upgrade discover smoke tests', function describeIndexTests() {
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ export default function ({ getPageObjects, getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
     ];
 
     const discoverTests = [
-      { name: 'kibana_sample_data_flights', timefield: true, hits: '' },
-      { name: 'kibana_sample_data_logs', timefield: true, hits: '' },
-      { name: 'kibana_sample_data_ecommerce', timefield: true, hits: '' },
+      { name: 'flights', timefield: true, hits: '' },
+      { name: 'logs', timefield: true, hits: '' },
+      { name: 'ecommerce', timefield: true, hits: '' },
     ];
 
     spaces.forEach(({ space, basePath }) => {
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ export default function ({ getPageObjects, getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
               basePath,
             });
             await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
-            await PageObjects.discover.selectIndexPattern(name);
+            await PageObjects.discover.selectIndexPattern(`kibana_sample_data_${name}`);
             await PageObjects.discover.waitUntilSearchingHasFinished();
             if (timefield) {
               await PageObjects.timePicker.setCommonlyUsedTime('Last_24 hours');
@@ -52,6 +52,35 @@ export default function ({ getPageObjects, getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
           });
         });
       });
+
+      discoverTests.forEach(({ name, timefield, hits }) => {
+        describe('space: ' + space + ', name: ' + name, () => {
+          before(async () => {
+            await PageObjects.common.navigateToActualUrl('home', '/tutorial_directory/sampleData', {
+              basePath,
+            });
+            await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
+            await PageObjects.home.launchSampleDiscover(name);
+            await PageObjects.header.waitUntilLoadingHasFinished();
+            if (timefield) {
+              await PageObjects.timePicker.setCommonlyUsedTime('Last_24 hours');
+              await PageObjects.discover.waitUntilSearchingHasFinished();
+            }
+          });
+          it('shows hit count greater than zero', async () => {
+            const hitCount = await PageObjects.discover.getHitCount();
+            if (hits === '') {
+              expect(hitCount).to.be.greaterThan(0);
+            } else {
+              expect(hitCount).to.be.equal(hits);
+            }
+          });
+          it('shows table rows not empty', async () => {
+            const tableRows = await PageObjects.discover.getDocTableRows();
+            expect(tableRows.length).to.be.greaterThan(0);
+          });
+        });
+      });
     });
   });
 }