diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/global_search_bar/public/components/search_bar.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/global_search_bar/public/components/search_bar.tsx
index e1801dacdda367..0bbfe0347dd364 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/global_search_bar/public/components/search_bar.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/global_search_bar/public/components/search_bar.tsx
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ const suggestionToOption = (suggestion: SearchSuggestion): EuiSelectableTemplate
     icon: { type: icon },
     suggestion: suggestedSearch,
     meta: [{ text: description }],
+    'data-test-subj': `nav-search-option`,
   };
 };
 
diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/page_objects/navigational_search.ts b/x-pack/test/functional/page_objects/navigational_search.ts
index 77df829e31019e..0924b2f8507393 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/page_objects/navigational_search.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional/page_objects/navigational_search.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ export function NavigationalSearchProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }: FtrPr
       }
     }
 
+    async getFieldValue() {
+      const field = await testSubjects.find('nav-search-input');
+      return field.getAttribute('value');
+    }
+
     async clearField() {
       const field = await testSubjects.find('nav-search-input');
       await field.clearValueWithKeyboard();
diff --git a/x-pack/test/plugin_functional/test_suites/global_search/global_search_bar.ts b/x-pack/test/plugin_functional/test_suites/global_search/global_search_bar.ts
index 97d50bda899fde..f0c70ee8f718d7 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/plugin_functional/test_suites/global_search/global_search_bar.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/plugin_functional/test_suites/global_search/global_search_bar.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,47 @@ export default function ({ getPageObjects, getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
       expect(await browser.getCurrentUrl()).to.contain('discover');
     });
 
+    describe('search suggestions', () => {
+      it('shows a suggestion when searching for a term matching a type', async () => {
+        await navigationalSearch.searchFor('dashboard');
+
+        let results = await navigationalSearch.getDisplayedResults();
+        expect(results[0].label).to.eql('type: dashboard');
+
+        await navigationalSearch.clickOnOption(0);
+        await navigationalSearch.waitForResultsLoaded();
+
+        const searchTerm = await navigationalSearch.getFieldValue();
+        expect(searchTerm).to.eql('type:dashboard');
+
+        results = await navigationalSearch.getDisplayedResults();
+        expect(results.map((result) => result.label)).to.eql([
+          'dashboard 1 (tag-2)',
+          'dashboard 2 (tag-3)',
+          'dashboard 3 (tag-1 and tag-3)',
+        ]);
+      });
+      it('shows a suggestion when searching for a term matching a tag name', async () => {
+        await navigationalSearch.searchFor('tag-1');
+
+        let results = await navigationalSearch.getDisplayedResults();
+        expect(results[0].label).to.eql('tag: tag-1');
+
+        await navigationalSearch.clickOnOption(0);
+        await navigationalSearch.waitForResultsLoaded();
+
+        const searchTerm = await navigationalSearch.getFieldValue();
+        expect(searchTerm).to.eql('tag:tag-1');
+
+        results = await navigationalSearch.getDisplayedResults();
+        expect(results.map((result) => result.label)).to.eql([
+          'Visualization 1 (tag-1)',
+          'Visualization 3 (tag-1 + tag-3)',
+          'dashboard 3 (tag-1 and tag-3)',
+        ]);
+      });
+    });
+
     describe('advanced search syntax', () => {
       it('allows to filter by type', async () => {
         await navigationalSearch.searchFor('type:dashboard');