diff --git a/app/vmalert/README.md b/app/vmalert/README.md
index 047e9eebe..16b9450d0 100644
--- a/app/vmalert/README.md
+++ b/app/vmalert/README.md
@@ -916,7 +916,7 @@ The shortlist of configuration flags is the following:
   -evaluationInterval duration
      How often to evaluate the rules (default 1m0s)
   -external.alert.source string
-     External Alert Source allows to override the Source link for alerts sent to AlertManager for cases where you want to build a custom link to Grafana, Prometheus or any other service. Supports templating - see https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmalert.html#templating . For example, link to Grafana: -external.alert.source='explore?orgId=1&left=["now-1h","now","VictoriaMetrics",{"expr":{{$expr|jsonEscape|queryEscape}} },{"mode":"Metrics"},{"ui":[true,true,true,"none"]}]'. Link to VMUI: -external.alert.source='vmui/#/?g0.expr={{.Expr|queryEscape}}'. If empty 'vmalert/alert?group_id={{.GroupID}}&alert_id={{.AlertID}}' is used.
+     External Alert Source allows to override the Source link for alerts sent to AlertManager for cases where you want to build a custom link to Grafana, Prometheus or any other service. Supports templating - see https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmalert.html#templating . For example, link to Grafana: -external.alert.source='explore?orgId=1&left={"datasource":"VictoriaMetrics","queries":[{"expr":{{$expr|jsonEscape|queryEscape}},"refId":"A"}],"range":{"from":"now-1h","to":"now"}}'. Link to VMUI: -external.alert.source='vmui/#/?g0.expr={{.Expr|queryEscape}}'. If empty 'vmalert/alert?group_id={{.GroupID}}&alert_id={{.AlertID}}' is used.
   -external.label array
      Optional label in the form 'Name=value' to add to all generated recording rules and alerts. Pass multiple -label flags in order to add multiple label sets.
      Supports an array of values separated by comma or specified via multiple flags.
diff --git a/app/vmalert/main.go b/app/vmalert/main.go
index 0e1ff26c1..7c3580b63 100644
--- a/app/vmalert/main.go
+++ b/app/vmalert/main.go
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ absolute path to all .tpl files in root.`)
 	externalAlertSource = flag.String("external.alert.source", "", `External Alert Source allows to override the Source link for alerts sent to AlertManager `+
 		`for cases where you want to build a custom link to Grafana, Prometheus or any other service. `+
 		`Supports templating - see https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmalert.html#templating . `+
-		`For example, link to Grafana: -external.alert.source='explore?orgId=1&left=["now-1h","now","VictoriaMetrics",{"expr":{{$expr|jsonEscape|queryEscape}} },{"mode":"Metrics"},{"ui":[true,true,true,"none"]}]'. `+
+		`For example, link to Grafana: -external.alert.source='explore?orgId=1&left={"datasource":"VictoriaMetrics","queries":[{"expr":{{$expr|jsonEscape|queryEscape}},"refId":"A"}],"range":{"from":"now-1h","to":"now"}}'. `+
 		`Link to VMUI: -external.alert.source='vmui/#/?g0.expr={{.Expr|queryEscape}}'. `+
 		`If empty 'vmalert/alert?group_id={{.GroupID}}&alert_id={{.AlertID}}' is used.`)
 	externalLabels = flagutil.NewArrayString("external.label", "Optional label in the form 'Name=value' to add to all generated recording rules and alerts. "+
diff --git a/docs/vmalert.md b/docs/vmalert.md
index afbe71196..86e3f2d9c 100644
--- a/docs/vmalert.md
+++ b/docs/vmalert.md
@@ -920,7 +920,7 @@ The shortlist of configuration flags is the following:
   -evaluationInterval duration
      How often to evaluate the rules (default 1m0s)
   -external.alert.source string
-     External Alert Source allows to override the Source link for alerts sent to AlertManager for cases where you want to build a custom link to Grafana, Prometheus or any other service. Supports templating - see https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmalert.html#templating . For example, link to Grafana: -external.alert.source='explore?orgId=1&left=["now-1h","now","VictoriaMetrics",{"expr":{{$expr|jsonEscape|queryEscape}} },{"mode":"Metrics"},{"ui":[true,true,true,"none"]}]'. Link to VMUI: -external.alert.source='vmui/#/?g0.expr={{.Expr|queryEscape}}'. If empty 'vmalert/alert?group_id={{.GroupID}}&alert_id={{.AlertID}}' is used.
+     External Alert Source allows to override the Source link for alerts sent to AlertManager for cases where you want to build a custom link to Grafana, Prometheus or any other service. Supports templating - see https://docs.victoriametrics.com/vmalert.html#templating . For example, link to Grafana: -external.alert.source='explore?orgId=1&left={"datasource":"VictoriaMetrics","queries":[{"expr":{{$expr|jsonEscape|queryEscape}},"refId":"A"}],"range":{"from":"now-1h","to":"now"}}'. Link to VMUI: -external.alert.source='vmui/#/?g0.expr={{.Expr|queryEscape}}'. If empty 'vmalert/alert?group_id={{.GroupID}}&alert_id={{.AlertID}}' is used.
   -external.label array
      Optional label in the form 'Name=value' to add to all generated recording rules and alerts. Pass multiple -label flags in order to add multiple label sets.
      Supports an array of values separated by comma or specified via multiple flags.