diff --git a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/siem/index.ts b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/siem/index.ts
index 4c0997e1d6181f..c3e2c2b0e119d4 100644
--- a/x-pack/legacy/plugins/siem/index.ts
+++ b/x-pack/legacy/plugins/siem/index.ts
@@ -65,14 +65,15 @@ export function siem(kibana: any) {
         [DEFAULT_SIEM_REFRESH_INTERVAL]: {
           type: 'json',
           name: i18n.translate('xpack.siem.uiSettings.defaultRefreshIntervalLabel', {
-            defaultMessage: 'Time picker refresh interval',
+            defaultMessage: 'Time filter refresh interval',
           }),
           value: `{
   "pause": ${DEFAULT_INTERVAL_PAUSE},
   "value": ${DEFAULT_INTERVAL_VALUE}
 }`,
           description: i18n.translate('xpack.siem.uiSettings.defaultRefreshIntervalDescription', {
-            defaultMessage: "The SIEM timefilter's default refresh interval",
+            defaultMessage:
+              '<p>Default refresh interval for the SIEM time filter, in milliseconds.</p>',
           }),
           category: ['siem'],
           requiresPageReload: true,
@@ -80,39 +81,39 @@ export function siem(kibana: any) {
         [DEFAULT_SIEM_TIME_RANGE]: {
           type: 'json',
           name: i18n.translate('xpack.siem.uiSettings.defaultTimeRangeLabel', {
-            defaultMessage: 'Time picker defaults',
+            defaultMessage: 'Time filter period',
           }),
           value: `{
   "from": "${DEFAULT_FROM}",
   "to": "${DEFAULT_TO}"
 }`,
           description: i18n.translate('xpack.siem.uiSettings.defaultTimeRangeDescription', {
-            defaultMessage:
-              'The SIEM timefilter selection to use when Kibana is started without one',
+            defaultMessage: '<p>Default period of time in the SIEM time filter.</p>',
           }),
           category: ['siem'],
           requiresPageReload: true,
         },
         [DEFAULT_INDEX_KEY]: {
           name: i18n.translate('xpack.siem.uiSettings.defaultIndexLabel', {
-            defaultMessage: 'Default index',
+            defaultMessage: 'Elasticsearch indices',
           }),
           value: ['auditbeat-*', 'filebeat-*', 'packetbeat-*', 'winlogbeat-*'],
           description: i18n.translate('xpack.siem.uiSettings.defaultIndexDescription', {
-            defaultMessage: 'Default Elasticsearch index to search',
+            defaultMessage:
+              '<p>Comma-delimited list of Elasticsearch indices from which the SIEM app collects events.</p>',
           }),
           category: ['siem'],
           requiresPageReload: true,
         },
         [DEFAULT_ANOMALY_SCORE]: {
           name: i18n.translate('xpack.siem.uiSettings.defaultAnomalyScoreLabel', {
-            defaultMessage: 'Default anomaly threshold',
+            defaultMessage: 'Anomaly threshold',
           }),
           value: 50,
           type: 'number',
           description: i18n.translate('xpack.siem.uiSettings.defaultAnomalyScoreDescription', {
             defaultMessage:
-              'Default anomaly score threshold to exceed before showing anomalies. Valid values are between 0 and 100',
+              '<p>Value above which Machine Learning job anomalies are displayed in the SIEM app.</p><p>Valid values: 0 to 100.</p>',
           }),
           category: ['siem'],
           requiresPageReload: true,