diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/common/locators/index.ts b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/common/locators/index.ts
index 35c1d43b3b30a..3c3597fe4f161 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/common/locators/index.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/common/locators/index.ts
@@ -13,10 +13,8 @@ import {
   type CreateIndexLocatorParams,
 } from './create_index_locator';
 import { SearchInferenceEndpointLocatorDefinition } from './inference_locator';
-import { PlaygroundLocatorDefinition, type PlaygroundLocatorParams } from './playground_locator';
 
 export function registerLocators(share: SharePluginSetup) {
   share.url.locators.create<CreateIndexLocatorParams>(new CreateIndexLocatorDefinition());
-  share.url.locators.create<PlaygroundLocatorParams>(new PlaygroundLocatorDefinition());
   share.url.locators.create<SerializableRecord>(new SearchInferenceEndpointLocatorDefinition());
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/common/locators/playground_locator.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/common/locators/playground_locator.tsx
deleted file mode 100644
index eca283c8c2b06..0000000000000
--- a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/common/locators/playground_locator.tsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * 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; you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License
- * 2.0.
- */
-
-import type { LocatorDefinition } from '@kbn/share-plugin/common';
-import type { SerializableRecord } from '@kbn/utility-types';
-
-import { APPLICATIONS_PLUGIN, PLAYGROUND_URL } from '../constants';
-
-export type PlaygroundLocatorParams = { 'default-index': string } & SerializableRecord;
-
-export class PlaygroundLocatorDefinition implements LocatorDefinition<PlaygroundLocatorParams> {
-  public readonly getLocation = async (params: PlaygroundLocatorParams) => {
-    const defaultIndex = params['default-index'];
-    const path = `${PLAYGROUND_URL}${defaultIndex ? `?default-index=${defaultIndex}` : ''}`;
-
-    return {
-      app: APPLICATIONS_PLUGIN.ID,
-      path,
-      state: {},
-    };
-  };
-
-  public readonly id = 'PLAYGROUND_LOCATOR_ID';
-}
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/connector_detail/components/whats_next_box.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/connector_detail/components/whats_next_box.tsx
index 2e04c094e7d7e..7e65b4d3367b8 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/connector_detail/components/whats_next_box.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/connector_detail/components/whats_next_box.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  * 2.0.
  */
 
-import React from 'react';
+import React, { useCallback } from 'react';
 
 import { useValues } from 'kea';
 
@@ -25,9 +25,6 @@ import { FormattedMessage } from '@kbn/i18n-react';
 
 import { ConnectorStatus } from '@kbn/search-connectors';
 
-import { APPLICATIONS_PLUGIN } from '../../../../../../common/constants';
-
-import { PLAYGROUND_PATH } from '../../../../applications/routes';
 import { generateEncodedPath } from '../../../../shared/encode_path_params';
 import { KibanaLogic } from '../../../../shared/kibana';
 import { EuiButtonTo } from '../../../../shared/react_router_helpers';
@@ -53,7 +50,14 @@ export const WhatsNextBox: React.FC<WhatsNextBoxProps> = ({
   isSyncing = false,
   isWaitingForConnector = false,
 }) => {
-  const { navigateToUrl } = useValues(KibanaLogic);
+  const { share } = useValues(KibanaLogic);
+  const onStartPlaygroundClick = useCallback(() => {
+    if (!share) return;
+    const playgroundLocator = share.url.locators.get('PLAYGROUND_LOCATOR_ID');
+    if (playgroundLocator) {
+      playgroundLocator.navigate({ 'default-index': connectorIndex });
+    }
+  }, [connectorIndex, share]);
   const isConfigured = !(
     connectorStatus === ConnectorStatus.NEEDS_CONFIGURATION ||
     connectorStatus === ConnectorStatus.CREATED
@@ -84,14 +88,7 @@ export const WhatsNextBox: React.FC<WhatsNextBoxProps> = ({
             data-test-subj="enterpriseSearchWhatsNextBoxSearchPlaygroundButton"
             iconType="sparkles"
             disabled={!connectorIndex || disabled}
-            onClick={() => {
-              navigateToUrl(
-                `${APPLICATIONS_PLUGIN.URL}${PLAYGROUND_PATH}?default-index=${connectorIndex}`,
-                {
-                  shouldNotCreateHref: true,
-                }
-              );
-            }}
+            onClick={onStartPlaygroundClick}
           >
             <FormattedMessage
               id="xpack.enterpriseSearch.whatsNextBox.searchPlaygroundButtonLabel"
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/connectors/create_connector/finish_up_step.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/connectors/create_connector/finish_up_step.tsx
index c2f27bde80408..3dfbf360d55e7 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/connectors/create_connector/finish_up_step.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/connectors/create_connector/finish_up_step.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
  * 2.0.
  */
 
-import React, { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 
 import { css } from '@emotion/react';
 
@@ -30,11 +30,10 @@ import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
 
 import { useKibana } from '@kbn/kibana-react-plugin/public';
 
-import { APPLICATIONS_PLUGIN, ELASTICSEARCH_PLUGIN } from '../../../../../../common/constants';
+import { ELASTICSEARCH_PLUGIN } from '../../../../../../common/constants';
 
 import { KibanaDeps } from '../../../../../../common/types';
 
-import { PLAYGROUND_PATH } from '../../../../applications/routes';
 import { generateEncodedPath } from '../../../../shared/encode_path_params';
 import { HttpLogic } from '../../../../shared/http';
 import { KibanaLogic } from '../../../../shared/kibana';
@@ -66,7 +65,14 @@ export const FinishUpStep: React.FC<FinishUpStepProps> = ({ title }) => {
   const isSyncing = isWaitingForSync || isSyncingProp;
 
   const { http } = useValues(HttpLogic);
-  const { application } = useValues(KibanaLogic);
+  const { application, share } = useValues(KibanaLogic);
+  const onStartPlaygroundClick = useCallback(() => {
+    if (!share) return;
+    const playgroundLocator = share.url.locators.get('PLAYGROUND_LOCATOR_ID');
+    if (playgroundLocator) {
+      playgroundLocator.navigate({ 'default-index': connector?.index_name });
+    }
+  }, [connector, share]);
   useEffect(() => {
     setTimeout(() => {
       window.scrollTo({
@@ -134,14 +140,7 @@ export const FinishUpStep: React.FC<FinishUpStepProps> = ({ title }) => {
                             'xpack.enterpriseSearch.createConnector.finishUpStep.euiButton.startSearchPlaygroundLabel',
                             { defaultMessage: 'Start Search Playground' }
                           )}
-                          onClick={() => {
-                            if (connector) {
-                              KibanaLogic.values.navigateToUrl(
-                                `${APPLICATIONS_PLUGIN.URL}${PLAYGROUND_PATH}?default-index=${connector.index_name}`,
-                                { shouldNotCreateHref: true }
-                              );
-                            }
-                          }}
+                          onClick={onStartPlaygroundClick}
                         >
                           {i18n.translate(
                             'xpack.enterpriseSearch.createConnector.finishUpStep.startSearchPlaygroundButtonLabel',
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/components/header_actions/search_playground_popover.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/components/header_actions/search_playground_popover.tsx
index 283d594e2891b..8b85ab9b97168 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/components/header_actions/search_playground_popover.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/enterprise_search/public/applications/enterprise_search_content/components/search_index/components/header_actions/search_playground_popover.tsx
@@ -5,14 +5,14 @@
  * 2.0.
  */
 
-import React from 'react';
+import React, { useCallback } from 'react';
+
+import { useValues } from 'kea';
 
 import { EuiButton } from '@elastic/eui';
 
 import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
 
-import { APPLICATIONS_PLUGIN } from '../../../../../../../common/constants';
-import { PLAYGROUND_PATH } from '../../../../../applications/routes';
 import { KibanaLogic } from '../../../../../shared/kibana';
 
 export interface SearchPlaygroundPopoverProps {
@@ -24,18 +24,21 @@ export const SearchPlaygroundPopover: React.FC<SearchPlaygroundPopoverProps> = (
   indexName,
   ingestionMethod,
 }) => {
-  const playgroundUrl = `${APPLICATIONS_PLUGIN.URL}${PLAYGROUND_PATH}?default-index=${indexName}`;
+  const { share } = useValues(KibanaLogic);
+  const onStartPlaygroundClick = useCallback(() => {
+    if (!share) return;
+    const playgroundLocator = share.url.locators.get('PLAYGROUND_LOCATOR_ID');
+    if (playgroundLocator) {
+      playgroundLocator.navigate({ 'default-index': indexName });
+    }
+  }, [indexName, share]);
 
   return (
     <EuiButton
       data-test-subj="enterpriseSearchSearchPlaygroundPopoverViewInPlaygroundButton"
       data-telemetry-id={`entSearchContent-${ingestionMethod}-header-viewPlayground`}
       iconType="eye"
-      onClick={() => {
-        KibanaLogic.values.navigateToUrl(playgroundUrl, {
-          shouldNotCreateHref: true,
-        });
-      }}
+      onClick={onStartPlaygroundClick}
     >
       {i18n.translate('xpack.enterpriseSearch.content.index.viewPlayground', {
         defaultMessage: 'View in Playground',