diff --git a/src/ui/public/vis/editors/default/agg_group.html b/src/ui/public/vis/editors/default/agg_group.html
index dfa04e4de9dc55..965390fd86091f 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/vis/editors/default/agg_group.html
+++ b/src/ui/public/vis/editors/default/agg_group.html
@@ -10,6 +10,6 @@
       <ng-form vis-editor-agg name="aggForm" class="vis-editor-agg"></ng-form>
     </div>
 
-    <vis-editor-agg-add ng-if="stats.count === 0" class="vis-editor-agg-add"></vis-editor-agg-add>
+    <vis-editor-agg-add ng-if="stats.count === 0" data-test-subj="addAggregationButton" class="vis-editor-agg-add"></vis-editor-agg-add>
   </div>
 </div>
diff --git a/src/ui/public/vis/editors/default/sidebar.html b/src/ui/public/vis/editors/default/sidebar.html
index 6b04bb29819762..511a21ca0aa91d 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/vis/editors/default/sidebar.html
+++ b/src/ui/public/vis/editors/default/sidebar.html
@@ -139,10 +139,10 @@
 
     <div class="vis-editor-config" ng-show="sidebar.section == 'data'">
       <!-- metrics -->
-      <vis-editor-agg-group ng-if="vis.type.schemas.metrics" group-name="metrics"></vis-editor-agg-group>
+      <vis-editor-agg-group ng-if="vis.type.schemas.metrics" data-test-subj="metricsAggGroup" group-name="metrics"></vis-editor-agg-group>
 
       <!-- buckets -->
-      <vis-editor-agg-group ng-if="vis.type.schemas.buckets" group-name="buckets"></vis-editor-agg-group>
+      <vis-editor-agg-group ng-if="vis.type.schemas.buckets" data-test-subj="bucketsAggGroup" group-name="buckets"></vis-editor-agg-group>
     </div>
 
     <div class="vis-editor-config" ng-repeat="tab in vis.type.editorConfig.optionTabs" ng-show="sidebar.section == tab.name">
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/getting_started/_shakespeare.js b/test/functional/apps/getting_started/_shakespeare.js
index 6a16d98e3815c5..d421aa66167254 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/getting_started/_shakespeare.js
+++ b/test/functional/apps/getting_started/_shakespeare.js
@@ -107,7 +107,6 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
     */
     it('should configure Terms aggregation on play_name', async function () {
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('X-Axis');
-      await PageObjects.common.sleep(1000);
       log.debug('Aggregation = Terms');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectAggregation('Terms');
       aggIndex = aggIndex + 1;
@@ -139,7 +138,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
     */
     it('should configure Max aggregation metric on speech_number', async function () {
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickAddMetric();
-      await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Y-Axis');
+      await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Y-Axis', 'metric');
       log.debug('Aggregation = Max');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectYAxisAggregation('Max', 'speech_number', 'Max Speaking Parts', aggIndex);
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickGo();
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_data_table.js b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_data_table.js
index bf6c4e541a762a..0941b02244de8e 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_data_table.js
+++ b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_data_table.js
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickNewSearch();
       await PageObjects.header.setAbsoluteRange(fromTime, toTime);
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickAddMetric();
-      await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Metric');
+      await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Metric', 'metric');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectAggregation('Average Bucket', 'metrics');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectAggregation('Terms', 'metrics', 'buckets');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectField('geo.src', 'metrics', 'buckets');
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_data_table_nontimeindex.js b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_data_table_nontimeindex.js
index 5a4b5f82acf545..557003f18a1cfd 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_data_table_nontimeindex.js
+++ b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_data_table_nontimeindex.js
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       log.debug('clickNewSearch');
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickNewSearch(PageObjects.visualize.index.LOGSTASH_NON_TIME_BASED);
       log.debug('Bucket = Split Rows');
-      await PageObjects.common.sleep(500);
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Split Rows');
       log.debug('Aggregation = Histogram');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectAggregation('Histogram');
@@ -105,7 +104,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickDataTable();
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickNewSearch(PageObjects.visualize.index.LOGSTASH_NON_TIME_BASED);
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickAddMetric();
-      await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Metric');
+      await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Metric', 'metric');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectAggregation('Average Bucket', 'metrics');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectAggregation('Terms', 'metrics', 'buckets');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectField('geo.src', 'metrics', 'buckets');
@@ -119,7 +118,6 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       await PageObjects.visualize.navigateToNewVisualization();
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickDataTable();
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickNewSearch(PageObjects.visualize.index.LOGSTASH_NON_TIME_BASED);
-      await PageObjects.common.sleep(500);
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Split Rows');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectAggregation('Date Histogram');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectField('@timestamp');
@@ -139,7 +137,6 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       await PageObjects.visualize.navigateToNewVisualization();
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickDataTable();
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickNewSearch(PageObjects.visualize.index.LOGSTASH_NON_TIME_BASED);
-      await PageObjects.common.sleep(500);
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Split Rows');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectAggregation('Date Histogram');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectField('@timestamp');
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_gauge_chart.js b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_gauge_chart.js
index da54b826976dc9..f0aeb8fbdb4a4d 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_gauge_chart.js
+++ b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_gauge_chart.js
@@ -76,12 +76,11 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       const expectedTexts = [ '2,904\nwin 8: Count', '0B\nwin 8: Min bytes' ];
 
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickMetricEditor();
-      await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Split Group');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectAggregation('Terms');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectField('machine.os.raw');
       await PageObjects.visualize.setSize('1');
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickAddMetric();
-      await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Metric');
+      await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Metric', 'metric');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectAggregation('Min', 'metrics');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectField('bytes', 'metrics');
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickGo();
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_inspector.js b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_inspector.js
index 3c816eafaf6ec8..7ddf7d817471d1 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_inspector.js
+++ b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_inspector.js
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
 
         log.debug('Add Average Metric on machine.ram field');
         await PageObjects.visualize.clickAddMetric();
-        await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Y-Axis');
+        await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Y-Axis', 'metric');
         await PageObjects.visualize.selectAggregation('Average', 'metrics');
         await PageObjects.visualize.selectField('machine.ram', 'metrics');
         await PageObjects.visualize.clickGo();
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_point_series_options.js b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_point_series_options.js
index dd19531a4d6df3..91e9e4e05a2bf1 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_point_series_options.js
+++ b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_point_series_options.js
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       log.debug('Add Metric');
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickAddMetric();
       log.debug('Metric = Value Axis');
-      await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Y-Axis');
+      await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Y-Axis', 'metric');
       log.debug('Aggregation = Average');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectAggregation('Average', 'metrics');
       log.debug('Field = memory');
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_tag_cloud.js b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_tag_cloud.js
index 51d8b51b894af0..de016cb93e4ae3 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_tag_cloud.js
+++ b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_tag_cloud.js
@@ -41,10 +41,8 @@ export default function ({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickNewSearch();
       log.debug('Set absolute time range from \"' + fromTime + '\" to \"' + toTime + '\"');
       await PageObjects.header.setAbsoluteRange(fromTime, toTime);
-      await PageObjects.common.sleep(1000);
       log.debug('select Tags');
       await PageObjects.visualize.clickBucket('Tags');
-      await PageObjects.common.sleep(1000);
       log.debug('Click aggregation Terms');
       await PageObjects.visualize.selectAggregation('Terms');
       log.debug('Click field machine.ram');
diff --git a/test/functional/page_objects/visualize_page.js b/test/functional/page_objects/visualize_page.js
index 0e571efcc070fc..a1103eb1762fcf 100644
--- a/test/functional/page_objects/visualize_page.js
+++ b/test/functional/page_objects/visualize_page.js
@@ -392,20 +392,26 @@ export function VisualizePageProvider({ getService, getPageObjects }) {
     }
 
     // clickBucket(bucketType) 'X-Axis', 'Split Area', 'Split Chart'
-    async clickBucket(bucketName) {
-      const chartTypes = await retry.try(
-        async () => await find.allByCssSelector('li.list-group-item.list-group-menu-item'));
-      log.debug('found bucket types ' + chartTypes.length);
-
-      async function getChartType(chart) {
-        const chartString = await chart.getVisibleText();
-        if (chartString === bucketName) {
-          await chart.click();
-          await PageObjects.common.sleep(500);
+    async clickBucket(bucketName, type = 'bucket') {
+      const testSubject = type === 'bucket' ? 'bucketsAggGroup' : 'metricsAggGroup';
+      await retry.try(async () => {
+        const chartTypes = await retry.try(
+          async () => await find.allByCssSelector(`[data-test-subj="${testSubject}"] .list-group-menu-item`));
+        log.debug('found bucket types ' + chartTypes.length);
+
+        async function getChartType(chart) {
+          const chartString = await chart.getVisibleText();
+          if (chartString === bucketName) {
+            await chart.click();
+            return true;
+          }
         }
-      }
-      const getChartTypesPromises = chartTypes.map(getChartType);
-      await Promise.all(getChartTypesPromises);
+        const getChartTypesPromises = chartTypes.map(getChartType);
+        const clickResult = await Promise.all(getChartTypesPromises);
+        if (!clickResult.some(result => result === true)) {
+          throw new Error(`bucket ${bucketName} not found`);
+        }
+      });
     }
 
     async selectAggregation(myString, groupName = 'buckets', childAggregationType = null) {