diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/components/data_grid/use_data_grid.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/components/data_grid/use_data_grid.tsx
index b97ddb2690982..08b2d48a982d6 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/components/data_grid/use_data_grid.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/components/data_grid/use_data_grid.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
  */
 
-import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
 
 import { EuiDataGridSorting, EuiDataGridColumn } from '@elastic/eui';
 
@@ -93,10 +93,8 @@ export const useDataGrid = (
     [columns]
   );
 
-  return {
-    chartsVisible,
-    chartsButtonVisible: true,
-    columnsWithCharts: columns.map((c, index) => {
+  const columnsWithCharts = useMemo(() => {
+    const updatedColumns = columns.map((c, index) => {
       const chartData = columnCharts.find((cd) => cd.id === c.id);
 
       return {
@@ -110,7 +108,32 @@ export const useDataGrid = (
             />
           ) : undefined,
       };
-    }),
+    });
+
+    // Sort the columns to be in line with the current order of visible columns.
+    // EuiDataGrid misses a callback for the order of all available columns, so
+    // this only can retain the order of visible columns.
+    return updatedColumns.sort((a, b) => {
+      // This will always move visible columns above invisible ones.
+      if (visibleColumns.indexOf(a.id) === -1 && visibleColumns.indexOf(b.id) > -1) {
+        return 1;
+      }
+      if (visibleColumns.indexOf(b.id) === -1 && visibleColumns.indexOf(a.id) > -1) {
+        return -1;
+      }
+      if (visibleColumns.indexOf(a.id) === -1 && visibleColumns.indexOf(b.id) === -1) {
+        return a.id.localeCompare(b.id);
+      }
+
+      // If both columns are visible sort by their visible sorting order.
+      return visibleColumns.indexOf(a.id) - visibleColumns.indexOf(b.id);
+    });
+  }, [columns, columnCharts, chartsVisible, JSON.stringify(visibleColumns)]);
+
+  return {
+    chartsVisible,
+    chartsButtonVisible: true,
+    columnsWithCharts,
     errorMessage,
     invalidSortingColumnns,
     noDataMessage,
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/data_frame_analytics/pages/analytics_exploration/components/exploration_query_bar/exploration_query_bar.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/data_frame_analytics/pages/analytics_exploration/components/exploration_query_bar/exploration_query_bar.tsx
index 06bcdfd364d66..c837fcbacdd55 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/data_frame_analytics/pages/analytics_exploration/components/exploration_query_bar/exploration_query_bar.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/data_frame_analytics/pages/analytics_exploration/components/exploration_query_bar/exploration_query_bar.tsx
@@ -149,11 +149,11 @@ export const ExplorationQueryBar: FC<ExplorationQueryBarProps> = ({
               placeholder={
                 searchInput.language === SEARCH_QUERY_LANGUAGE.KUERY
                   ? i18n.translate('xpack.ml.stepDefineForm.queryPlaceholderKql', {
-                      defaultMessage: 'e.g. {example}',
+                      defaultMessage: 'Search for e.g. {example}',
                       values: { example: 'method : "GET" or status : "404"' },
                     })
                   : i18n.translate('xpack.ml.stepDefineForm.queryPlaceholderLucene', {
-                      defaultMessage: 'e.g. {example}',
+                      defaultMessage: 'Search for e.g. {example}',
                       values: { example: 'method:GET OR status:404' },
                     })
               }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/data_frame_analytics/pages/analytics_exploration/components/outlier_exploration/use_outlier_data.ts b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/data_frame_analytics/pages/analytics_exploration/components/outlier_exploration/use_outlier_data.ts
index eded8e82a7919..88aa06808e8a7 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/data_frame_analytics/pages/analytics_exploration/components/outlier_exploration/use_outlier_data.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/ml/public/application/data_frame_analytics/pages/analytics_exploration/components/outlier_exploration/use_outlier_data.ts
@@ -52,17 +52,21 @@ export const useOutlierData = (
   const needsDestIndexFields =
     indexPattern !== undefined && indexPattern.title === jobConfig?.source.index[0];
 
-  const columns: EuiDataGridColumn[] = [];
-
-  if (jobConfig !== undefined && indexPattern !== undefined) {
-    const resultsField = jobConfig.dest.results_field;
-    const { fieldTypes } = getIndexFields(jobConfig, needsDestIndexFields);
-    columns.push(
-      ...getDataGridSchemasFromFieldTypes(fieldTypes, resultsField).sort((a: any, b: any) =>
-        sortExplorationResultsFields(a.id, b.id, jobConfig)
-      )
-    );
-  }
+  const columns = useMemo(() => {
+    const newColumns: EuiDataGridColumn[] = [];
+
+    if (jobConfig !== undefined && indexPattern !== undefined) {
+      const resultsField = jobConfig.dest.results_field;
+      const { fieldTypes } = getIndexFields(jobConfig, needsDestIndexFields);
+      newColumns.push(
+        ...getDataGridSchemasFromFieldTypes(fieldTypes, resultsField).sort((a: any, b: any) =>
+          sortExplorationResultsFields(a.id, b.id, jobConfig)
+        )
+      );
+    }
+
+    return newColumns;
+  }, [jobConfig, indexPattern]);
 
   const dataGrid = useDataGrid(
     columns,
@@ -124,7 +128,10 @@ export const useOutlierData = (
   }, [
     dataGrid.chartsVisible,
     jobConfig?.dest.index,
-    JSON.stringify([searchQuery, dataGrid.visibleColumns]),
+    // Only trigger when search or the visible columns changes.
+    // We're only interested in the visible columns but not their order, that's
+    // why we sort for comparison (and copying it via spread to avoid sort in place).
+    JSON.stringify([searchQuery, [...dataGrid.visibleColumns].sort()]),
   ]);
 
   const colorRange = useColorRange(