diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/actions/server/mappings.json b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/actions/server/mappings.json
index a9c4d80b00af10..ef6a0c9919920f 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/actions/server/mappings.json
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/actions/server/mappings.json
@@ -2,7 +2,12 @@
   "action": {
     "properties": {
       "name": {
-        "type": "text"
+        "type": "text",
+        "fields": {
+          "keyword": {
+            "type": "keyword"
+          }
+        }
       },
       "actionTypeId": {
         "type": "keyword"
diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/mappings.json b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/mappings.json
index 31733f44e7ce6e..a7e85febf2446b 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/mappings.json
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/alerting/server/mappings.json
@@ -5,7 +5,12 @@
         "type": "boolean"
       },
       "name": {
-        "type": "text"
+        "type": "text",
+        "fields": {
+          "keyword": {
+            "type": "keyword"
+          }
+        }
       },
       "tags": {
         "type": "keyword"
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/actions/server/routes/find.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/actions/server/routes/find.test.ts
index 862e26132fdc35..b51130b2640aa4 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/actions/server/routes/find.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/actions/server/routes/find.test.ts
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ describe('findActionRoute', () => {
             "perPage": 1,
             "search": undefined,
             "sortField": undefined,
+            "sortOrder": undefined,
           },
         },
       ]
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/actions/server/routes/find.ts b/x-pack/plugins/actions/server/routes/find.ts
index 71d4274980fcc3..820dd32d710aed 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/actions/server/routes/find.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/actions/server/routes/find.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ const querySchema = schema.object({
   }),
   search_fields: schema.maybe(schema.oneOf([schema.arrayOf(schema.string()), schema.string()])),
   sort_field: schema.maybe(schema.string()),
+  sort_order: schema.maybe(schema.oneOf([schema.literal('asc'), schema.literal('desc')])),
   has_reference: schema.maybe(
     // use nullable as maybe is currently broken
     // in config-schema
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ export const findActionRoute = (router: IRouter, licenseState: LicenseState) =>
         sortField: query.sort_field,
         fields: query.fields,
         filter: query.filter,
+        sortOrder: query.sort_order,
       };
 
       if (query.search_fields) {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/alerting/server/routes/find.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/alerting/server/routes/find.test.ts
index ba0114c99a9bdd..391d6df3f99317 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/alerting/server/routes/find.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/alerting/server/routes/find.test.ts
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ describe('findAlertRoute', () => {
             "perPage": 1,
             "search": undefined,
             "sortField": undefined,
+            "sortOrder": undefined,
           },
         },
       ]
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/alerting/server/routes/find.ts b/x-pack/plugins/alerting/server/routes/find.ts
index efc5c3ea97183d..1f8f161cf30285 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/alerting/server/routes/find.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/alerting/server/routes/find.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ const querySchema = schema.object({
   }),
   search_fields: schema.maybe(schema.oneOf([schema.arrayOf(schema.string()), schema.string()])),
   sort_field: schema.maybe(schema.string()),
+  sort_order: schema.maybe(schema.oneOf([schema.literal('asc'), schema.literal('desc')])),
   has_reference: schema.maybe(
     // use nullable as maybe is currently broken
     // in config-schema
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ export const findAlertRoute = (router: IRouter, licenseState: LicenseState) => {
         sortField: query.sort_field,
         fields: query.fields,
         filter: query.filter,
+        sortOrder: query.sort_order,
       };
 
       if (query.search_fields) {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/application/lib/action_connector_api.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/application/lib/action_connector_api.test.ts
index f568e0a71d0cf4..62e7b1cf022bba 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/application/lib/action_connector_api.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/application/lib/action_connector_api.test.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ describe('loadAllActions', () => {
         Object {
           "query": Object {
             "per_page": 10000,
+            "sort_field": "name.keyword",
+            "sort_order": "asc",
           },
         },
       ]
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/application/lib/action_connector_api.ts b/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/application/lib/action_connector_api.ts
index 5b2b59603d281d..26ad97f05849d4 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/application/lib/action_connector_api.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/application/lib/action_connector_api.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ export async function loadAllActions({
   return await http.get(`${BASE_ACTION_API_PATH}/_find`, {
     query: {
       per_page: MAX_ACTIONS_RETURNED,
+      sort_field: 'name.keyword',
+      sort_order: 'asc',
     },
   });
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/application/lib/alert_api.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/application/lib/alert_api.test.ts
index 0b06982828446c..0555823d0245e6 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/application/lib/alert_api.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/application/lib/alert_api.test.ts
@@ -170,6 +170,8 @@ describe('loadAlerts', () => {
             "per_page": 10,
             "search": undefined,
             "search_fields": undefined,
+            "sort_field": "name.keyword",
+            "sort_order": "asc",
           },
         },
       ]
@@ -188,20 +190,22 @@ describe('loadAlerts', () => {
     const result = await loadAlerts({ http, searchText: 'apples', page: { index: 0, size: 10 } });
     expect(result).toEqual(resolvedValue);
     expect(http.get.mock.calls[0]).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
-          Array [
-            "/api/alert/_find",
-            Object {
-              "query": Object {
-                "default_search_operator": "AND",
-                "filter": undefined,
-                "page": 1,
-                "per_page": 10,
-                "search": "apples",
-                "search_fields": "[\\"name\\",\\"tags\\"]",
-              },
-            },
-          ]
-        `);
+      Array [
+        "/api/alert/_find",
+        Object {
+          "query": Object {
+            "default_search_operator": "AND",
+            "filter": undefined,
+            "page": 1,
+            "per_page": 10,
+            "search": "apples",
+            "search_fields": "[\\"name\\",\\"tags\\"]",
+            "sort_field": "name.keyword",
+            "sort_order": "asc",
+          },
+        },
+      ]
+    `);
   });
 
   test('should call find API with actionTypesFilter', async () => {
@@ -220,20 +224,22 @@ describe('loadAlerts', () => {
     });
     expect(result).toEqual(resolvedValue);
     expect(http.get.mock.calls[0]).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
-          Array [
-            "/api/alert/_find",
-            Object {
-              "query": Object {
-                "default_search_operator": "AND",
-                "filter": undefined,
-                "page": 1,
-                "per_page": 10,
-                "search": "foo",
-                "search_fields": "[\\"name\\",\\"tags\\"]",
-              },
-            },
-          ]
-        `);
+      Array [
+        "/api/alert/_find",
+        Object {
+          "query": Object {
+            "default_search_operator": "AND",
+            "filter": undefined,
+            "page": 1,
+            "per_page": 10,
+            "search": "foo",
+            "search_fields": "[\\"name\\",\\"tags\\"]",
+            "sort_field": "name.keyword",
+            "sort_order": "asc",
+          },
+        },
+      ]
+    `);
   });
 
   test('should call find API with typesFilter', async () => {
@@ -252,20 +258,22 @@ describe('loadAlerts', () => {
     });
     expect(result).toEqual(resolvedValue);
     expect(http.get.mock.calls[0]).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
-          Array [
-            "/api/alert/_find",
-            Object {
-              "query": Object {
-                "default_search_operator": "AND",
-                "filter": "alert.attributes.alertTypeId:(foo or bar)",
-                "page": 1,
-                "per_page": 10,
-                "search": undefined,
-                "search_fields": undefined,
-              },
-            },
-          ]
-        `);
+      Array [
+        "/api/alert/_find",
+        Object {
+          "query": Object {
+            "default_search_operator": "AND",
+            "filter": "alert.attributes.alertTypeId:(foo or bar)",
+            "page": 1,
+            "per_page": 10,
+            "search": undefined,
+            "search_fields": undefined,
+            "sort_field": "name.keyword",
+            "sort_order": "asc",
+          },
+        },
+      ]
+    `);
   });
 
   test('should call find API with actionTypesFilter and typesFilter', async () => {
@@ -285,20 +293,22 @@ describe('loadAlerts', () => {
     });
     expect(result).toEqual(resolvedValue);
     expect(http.get.mock.calls[0]).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
-          Array [
-            "/api/alert/_find",
-            Object {
-              "query": Object {
-                "default_search_operator": "AND",
-                "filter": "alert.attributes.alertTypeId:(foo or bar)",
-                "page": 1,
-                "per_page": 10,
-                "search": "baz",
-                "search_fields": "[\\"name\\",\\"tags\\"]",
-              },
-            },
-          ]
-        `);
+      Array [
+        "/api/alert/_find",
+        Object {
+          "query": Object {
+            "default_search_operator": "AND",
+            "filter": "alert.attributes.alertTypeId:(foo or bar)",
+            "page": 1,
+            "per_page": 10,
+            "search": "baz",
+            "search_fields": "[\\"name\\",\\"tags\\"]",
+            "sort_field": "name.keyword",
+            "sort_order": "asc",
+          },
+        },
+      ]
+    `);
   });
 
   test('should call find API with searchText and tagsFilter and typesFilter', async () => {
@@ -318,20 +328,22 @@ describe('loadAlerts', () => {
     });
     expect(result).toEqual(resolvedValue);
     expect(http.get.mock.calls[0]).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
-          Array [
-            "/api/alert/_find",
-            Object {
-              "query": Object {
-                "default_search_operator": "AND",
-                "filter": "alert.attributes.alertTypeId:(foo or bar)",
-                "page": 1,
-                "per_page": 10,
-                "search": "apples, foo, baz",
-                "search_fields": "[\\"name\\",\\"tags\\"]",
-              },
-            },
-          ]
-        `);
+      Array [
+        "/api/alert/_find",
+        Object {
+          "query": Object {
+            "default_search_operator": "AND",
+            "filter": "alert.attributes.alertTypeId:(foo or bar)",
+            "page": 1,
+            "per_page": 10,
+            "search": "apples, foo, baz",
+            "search_fields": "[\\"name\\",\\"tags\\"]",
+            "sort_field": "name.keyword",
+            "sort_order": "asc",
+          },
+        },
+      ]
+    `);
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/application/lib/alert_api.ts b/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/application/lib/alert_api.ts
index ff6b4ba17c6d98..1b18460ba11cb8 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/application/lib/alert_api.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/triggers_actions_ui/public/application/lib/alert_api.ts
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ export async function loadAlerts({
       search: searchText,
       filter: filters.length ? filters.join(' and ') : undefined,
       default_search_operator: 'AND',
+      sort_field: 'name.keyword',
+      sort_order: 'asc',
     },
   });
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional_with_es_ssl/apps/triggers_actions_ui/alerts.ts b/x-pack/test/functional_with_es_ssl/apps/triggers_actions_ui/alerts.ts
index 791712fa244893..4354b19da24aca 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional_with_es_ssl/apps/triggers_actions_ui/alerts.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional_with_es_ssl/apps/triggers_actions_ui/alerts.ts
@@ -18,20 +18,21 @@ export default ({ getPageObjects, getService }: FtrProviderContext) => {
   const supertest = getService('supertest');
   const find = getService('find');
 
-  async function createAlert(alertTypeId?: string, name?: string, params?: any) {
+  async function createAlert(overwrites: Record<string, any> = {}) {
     const { body: createdAlert } = await supertest
       .post(`/api/alert`)
       .set('kbn-xsrf', 'foo')
       .send({
         enabled: true,
-        name: name ?? generateUniqueKey(),
+        name: generateUniqueKey(),
         tags: ['foo', 'bar'],
-        alertTypeId: alertTypeId ?? 'test.noop',
+        alertTypeId: 'test.noop',
         consumer: 'test',
         schedule: { interval: '1m' },
         throttle: '1m',
         actions: [],
-        params: params ?? {},
+        params: {},
+        ...overwrites,
       })
       .expect(200);
     return createdAlert;
@@ -98,6 +99,22 @@ export default ({ getPageObjects, getService }: FtrProviderContext) => {
       ]);
     });
 
+    it('should display alerts in alphabetical order', async () => {
+      const uniqueKey = generateUniqueKey();
+      await createAlert({ name: 'b', tags: [uniqueKey] });
+      await createAlert({ name: 'c', tags: [uniqueKey] });
+      await createAlert({ name: 'a', tags: [uniqueKey] });
+
+      await pageObjects.common.navigateToApp('triggersActions');
+      await pageObjects.triggersActionsUI.searchAlerts(uniqueKey);
+
+      const searchResults = await pageObjects.triggersActionsUI.getAlertsList();
+      expect(searchResults).to.have.length(3);
+      expect(searchResults[0].name).to.eql('a');
+      expect(searchResults[1].name).to.eql('b');
+      expect(searchResults[2].name).to.eql('c');
+    });
+
     it('should search for alert', async () => {
       const createdAlert = await createAlert();
       await pageObjects.common.navigateToApp('triggersActions');
@@ -115,16 +132,20 @@ export default ({ getPageObjects, getService }: FtrProviderContext) => {
     });
 
     it('should edit an alert', async () => {
-      const createdAlert = await createAlert('.index-threshold', 'new alert', {
-        aggType: 'count',
-        termSize: 5,
-        thresholdComparator: '>',
-        timeWindowSize: 5,
-        timeWindowUnit: 'm',
-        groupBy: 'all',
-        threshold: [1000, 5000],
-        index: ['.kibana_1'],
-        timeField: 'alert',
+      const createdAlert = await createAlert({
+        alertTypeId: '.index-threshold',
+        name: 'new alert',
+        params: {
+          aggType: 'count',
+          termSize: 5,
+          thresholdComparator: '>',
+          timeWindowSize: 5,
+          timeWindowUnit: 'm',
+          groupBy: 'all',
+          threshold: [1000, 5000],
+          index: ['.kibana_1'],
+          timeField: 'alert',
+        },
       });
       await pageObjects.common.navigateToApp('triggersActions');
       await pageObjects.triggersActionsUI.searchAlerts(createdAlert.name);