diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/app/TraceLink/get_redirect_to_transaction_detail_page_url.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/app/TraceLink/get_redirect_to_transaction_detail_page_url.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..d7131b942a50f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/app/TraceLink/get_redirect_to_transaction_detail_page_url.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
+ */
+
+import { getRedirectToTransactionDetailPageUrl } from './get_redirect_to_transaction_detail_page_url';
+import { parse } from 'url';
+
+describe('getRedirectToTransactionDetailPageUrl', () => {
+  const transaction = ({
+    '@timestamp': '2020-01-01T00:01:00.000Z',
+    service: { name: 'opbeans-node' },
+    trace: { id: 'trace_id' },
+    transaction: {
+      id: 'transaction_id',
+      name: 'transaction_name',
+      type: 'request',
+      duration: { us: 5000 },
+    },
+  } as unknown) as any;
+
+  const url = getRedirectToTransactionDetailPageUrl({ transaction });
+
+  it('rounds the start time down', () => {
+    expect(parse(url, true).query.rangeFrom).toBe('2020-01-01T00:00:00.000Z');
+  });
+
+  it('rounds the end time up', () => {
+    expect(parse(url, true).query.rangeTo).toBe('2020-01-01T00:05:00.000Z');
+  });
+
+  it('formats url correctly', () => {
+    expect(url).toBe(
+      '/services/opbeans-node/transactions/view?traceId=trace_id&transactionId=transaction_id&transactionName=transaction_name&transactionType=request&rangeFrom=2020-01-01T00%3A00%3A00.000Z&rangeTo=2020-01-01T00%3A05%3A00.000Z'
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/app/TraceLink/get_redirect_to_transaction_detail_page_url.ts b/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/app/TraceLink/get_redirect_to_transaction_detail_page_url.ts
index 4738622aa9c31..6e22addf429d0 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/app/TraceLink/get_redirect_to_transaction_detail_page_url.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/app/TraceLink/get_redirect_to_transaction_detail_page_url.ts
@@ -14,15 +14,48 @@ export const getRedirectToTransactionDetailPageUrl = ({
   transaction: Transaction;
   rangeFrom?: string;
   rangeTo?: string;
-}) =>
-  format({
+}) => {
+  return format({
     pathname: `/services/${transaction.service.name}/transactions/view`,
     query: {
       traceId: transaction.trace.id,
       transactionId: transaction.transaction.id,
       transactionName: transaction.transaction.name,
       transactionType: transaction.transaction.type,
-      rangeFrom,
-      rangeTo,
+      rangeFrom:
+        rangeFrom ||
+        roundToNearestMinute({
+          timestamp: transaction['@timestamp'],
+          direction: 'down',
+        }),
+      rangeTo:
+        rangeTo ||
+        roundToNearestMinute({
+          timestamp: transaction['@timestamp'],
+          diff: transaction.transaction.duration.us / 1000,
+          direction: 'up',
+        }),
     },
   });
+};
+
+function roundToNearestMinute({
+  timestamp,
+  diff = 0,
+  direction = 'up',
+}: {
+  timestamp: string;
+  diff?: number;
+  direction?: 'up' | 'down';
+}) {
+  const date = new Date(timestamp);
+  const fiveMinutes = 1000 * 60 * 5; // round to 5 min
+
+  const ms = date.getTime() + diff;
+
+  return new Date(
+    direction === 'down'
+      ? Math.floor(ms / fiveMinutes) * fiveMinutes
+      : Math.ceil(ms / fiveMinutes) * fiveMinutes
+  ).toISOString();
+}