diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_plugin/editor_frame/workspace_panel.test.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_plugin/editor_frame/workspace_panel.test.tsx
index cfb51a0adce1d..9efa5da6a6cf1 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_plugin/editor_frame/workspace_panel.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_plugin/editor_frame/workspace_panel.test.tsx
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import { ReactWrapper } from 'enzyme';
 const waitForPromises = () => new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve));
 
 describe('workspace_panel', () => {
-  let mockVisualization: Visualization;
+  let mockVisualization: jest.Mocked<Visualization>;
   let mockDatasource: DatasourceMock;
 
   let expressionRendererMock: jest.Mock<React.ReactElement, [ExpressionRendererProps]>;
@@ -274,4 +274,134 @@ Object {
       expect(instance.find(expressionRendererMock).length).toBe(1);
     });
   });
+
+  describe('suggestions from dropping in workspace panel', () => {
+    let mockDispatch: jest.Mock;
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      mockDispatch = jest.fn();
+      instance = mount(
+        <WorkspacePanel
+          activeDatasource={mockDatasource}
+          datasourceState={{}}
+          activeVisualizationId={null}
+          visualizationMap={{
+            vis: mockVisualization,
+          }}
+          visualizationState={{}}
+          datasourcePublicAPI={mockDatasource.publicAPIMock}
+          dispatch={mockDispatch}
+          ExpressionRenderer={expressionRendererMock}
+        />
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('should immediately transition if exactly one suggestion is returned', () => {
+      const expectedTable = {
+        datasourceSuggestionId: 0,
+        isMultiRow: true,
+        columns: [],
+      };
+      mockDatasource.getDatasourceSuggestionsForField.mockReturnValueOnce([
+        {
+          state: {},
+          table: expectedTable,
+        },
+      ]);
+      mockVisualization.getSuggestions.mockReturnValueOnce([
+        {
+          score: 0.5,
+          title: 'my title',
+          state: {},
+          datasourceSuggestionId: 0,
+        },
+      ]);
+
+      instance.childAt(0).prop('onDrop')({
+        name: '@timestamp',
+        type: 'date',
+        searchable: false,
+        aggregatable: false,
+      });
+
+      expect(mockDatasource.getDatasourceSuggestionsForField).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(mockVisualization.getSuggestions).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          tables: [expectedTable],
+        })
+      );
+      expect(mockDispatch).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        type: 'SWITCH_VISUALIZATION',
+        newVisualizationId: 'vis',
+        initialState: {},
+        datasourceState: {},
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should immediately transition to the first suggestion if there are multiple', () => {
+      mockDatasource.getDatasourceSuggestionsForField.mockReturnValueOnce([
+        {
+          state: {},
+          table: {
+            datasourceSuggestionId: 0,
+            isMultiRow: true,
+            columns: [],
+          },
+        },
+        {
+          state: {},
+          table: {
+            datasourceSuggestionId: 1,
+            isMultiRow: true,
+            columns: [],
+          },
+        },
+      ]);
+      mockVisualization.getSuggestions.mockReturnValueOnce([
+        {
+          score: 0.8,
+          title: 'first suggestion',
+          state: {
+            isFirst: true,
+          },
+          datasourceSuggestionId: 1,
+        },
+        {
+          score: 0.5,
+          title: 'second suggestion',
+          state: {},
+          datasourceSuggestionId: 0,
+        },
+      ]);
+
+      instance.childAt(0).prop('onDrop')({
+        name: '@timestamp',
+        type: 'date',
+        searchable: false,
+        aggregatable: false,
+      });
+
+      expect(mockDispatch).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        type: 'SWITCH_VISUALIZATION',
+        newVisualizationId: 'vis',
+        initialState: {
+          isFirst: true,
+        },
+        datasourceState: {},
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("should do nothing when the visualization can't use the suggestions", () => {
+      instance.childAt(0).prop('onDrop')({
+        name: '@timestamp',
+        type: 'date',
+        searchable: false,
+        aggregatable: false,
+      });
+
+      expect(mockDatasource.getDatasourceSuggestionsForField).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(mockVisualization.getSuggestions).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(mockDispatch).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_plugin/editor_frame/workspace_panel.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_plugin/editor_frame/workspace_panel.tsx
index 92ba491ab0576..6d1bb17b25624 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_plugin/editor_frame/workspace_panel.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_plugin/editor_frame/workspace_panel.tsx
@@ -37,9 +37,10 @@ export function WorkspacePanel({
   dispatch,
   ExpressionRenderer: ExpressionRendererComponent,
 }: WorkspacePanelProps) {
-  function onDrop() {
+  function onDrop(item: unknown) {
     const datasourceSuggestions = activeDatasource.getDatasourceSuggestionsForField(
-      datasourceState
+      datasourceState,
+      item
     );
 
     const suggestions = getSuggestions(
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_plugin/mocks.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_plugin/mocks.tsx
index 5d2d9e5bc5309..d6e9e2f530fc0 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_plugin/mocks.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/editor_frame_plugin/mocks.tsx
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ export function createMockDatasource(): DatasourceMock {
   };
 
   return {
-    getDatasourceSuggestionsForField: jest.fn(_state => []),
+    getDatasourceSuggestionsForField: jest.fn((_state, item) => []),
     getDatasourceSuggestionsFromCurrentState: jest.fn(_state => []),
     getPersistableState: jest.fn(),
     getPublicAPI: jest.fn((_state, _setState) => publicAPIMock),
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_plugin/indexpattern.test.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_plugin/indexpattern.test.tsx
index f918a16fd8825..affddb88277a5 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_plugin/indexpattern.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_plugin/indexpattern.test.tsx
@@ -246,6 +246,206 @@ describe('IndexPattern Data Source', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('#getDatasourceSuggestionsForField', () => {
+    describe('with no previous selections', () => {
+      let initialState: IndexPatternPrivateState;
+
+      beforeEach(async () => {
+        initialState = await indexPatternDatasource.initialize({
+          currentIndexPatternId: '1',
+          columnOrder: [],
+          columns: {},
+        });
+      });
+
+      it('should apply a bucketed aggregation for a string field', () => {
+        const suggestions = indexPatternDatasource.getDatasourceSuggestionsForField(initialState, {
+          name: 'source',
+          type: 'string',
+          aggregatable: true,
+          searchable: true,
+        });
+
+        expect(suggestions).toHaveLength(1);
+        expect(suggestions[0].state).toEqual(
+          expect.objectContaining({
+            columnOrder: ['col1', 'col2'],
+            columns: {
+              col1: expect.objectContaining({
+                operationType: 'terms',
+                sourceField: 'source',
+              }),
+              col2: expect.objectContaining({
+                operationType: 'count',
+                sourceField: 'documents',
+              }),
+            },
+          })
+        );
+        expect(suggestions[0].table).toEqual({
+          datasourceSuggestionId: 0,
+          isMultiRow: true,
+          columns: [
+            expect.objectContaining({
+              columnId: 'col1',
+            }),
+            expect.objectContaining({
+              columnId: 'col2',
+            }),
+          ],
+        });
+      });
+
+      it('should apply a bucketed aggregation for a date field', () => {
+        const suggestions = indexPatternDatasource.getDatasourceSuggestionsForField(initialState, {
+          name: 'timestamp',
+          type: 'date',
+          aggregatable: true,
+          searchable: true,
+        });
+
+        expect(suggestions).toHaveLength(1);
+        expect(suggestions[0].state).toEqual(
+          expect.objectContaining({
+            columnOrder: ['col1', 'col2'],
+            columns: {
+              col1: expect.objectContaining({
+                operationType: 'date_histogram',
+                sourceField: 'timestamp',
+              }),
+              col2: expect.objectContaining({
+                operationType: 'count',
+                sourceField: 'documents',
+              }),
+            },
+          })
+        );
+        expect(suggestions[0].table).toEqual({
+          datasourceSuggestionId: 0,
+          isMultiRow: true,
+          columns: [
+            expect.objectContaining({
+              columnId: 'col1',
+            }),
+            expect.objectContaining({
+              columnId: 'col2',
+            }),
+          ],
+        });
+      });
+
+      it('should select a metric for a number field', () => {
+        const suggestions = indexPatternDatasource.getDatasourceSuggestionsForField(initialState, {
+          name: 'bytes',
+          type: 'number',
+          aggregatable: true,
+          searchable: true,
+        });
+
+        expect(suggestions).toHaveLength(1);
+        expect(suggestions[0].state).toEqual(
+          expect.objectContaining({
+            columnOrder: ['col1', 'col2'],
+            columns: {
+              col1: expect.objectContaining({
+                sourceField: 'timestamp',
+                operationType: 'date_histogram',
+              }),
+              col2: expect.objectContaining({
+                sourceField: 'bytes',
+                operationType: 'sum',
+              }),
+            },
+          })
+        );
+        expect(suggestions[0].table).toEqual({
+          datasourceSuggestionId: 0,
+          isMultiRow: true,
+          columns: [
+            expect.objectContaining({
+              columnId: 'col1',
+            }),
+            expect.objectContaining({
+              columnId: 'col2',
+            }),
+          ],
+        });
+      });
+
+      it('should not make any suggestions for a number without a time field', async () => {
+        const state: IndexPatternPrivateState = {
+          currentIndexPatternId: '1',
+          columnOrder: [],
+          columns: {},
+          indexPatterns: {
+            1: {
+              id: '1',
+              title: 'no timefield',
+              fields: [
+                {
+                  name: 'bytes',
+                  type: 'number',
+                  aggregatable: true,
+                  searchable: true,
+                },
+              ],
+            },
+          },
+        };
+
+        const suggestions = indexPatternDatasource.getDatasourceSuggestionsForField(state, {
+          name: 'bytes',
+          type: 'number',
+          aggregatable: true,
+          searchable: true,
+        });
+
+        expect(suggestions).toHaveLength(0);
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('with a prior column', () => {
+      let initialState: IndexPatternPrivateState;
+
+      beforeEach(async () => {
+        initialState = await indexPatternDatasource.initialize(persistedState);
+      });
+
+      it('should not suggest for string', () => {
+        expect(
+          indexPatternDatasource.getDatasourceSuggestionsForField(initialState, {
+            name: 'source',
+            type: 'string',
+            aggregatable: true,
+            searchable: true,
+          })
+        ).toHaveLength(0);
+      });
+
+      it('should not suggest for date', () => {
+        expect(
+          indexPatternDatasource.getDatasourceSuggestionsForField(initialState, {
+            name: 'timestamp',
+            type: 'date',
+            aggregatable: true,
+            searchable: true,
+          })
+        ).toHaveLength(0);
+      });
+
+      it('should not suggest for number', () => {
+        expect(
+          indexPatternDatasource.getDatasourceSuggestionsForField(initialState, {
+            name: 'bytes',
+            type: 'number',
+            aggregatable: true,
+            searchable: true,
+          })
+        ).toHaveLength(0);
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('#getPublicAPI', () => {
     let publicAPI: DatasourcePublicAPI;
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_plugin/indexpattern.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_plugin/indexpattern.tsx
index 671b3576c7271..94660e1335bea 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_plugin/indexpattern.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_plugin/indexpattern.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import _ from 'lodash';
 import React from 'react';
 import { render } from 'react-dom';
+import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
 import { Chrome } from 'ui/chrome';
 import { ToastNotifications } from 'ui/notify/toasts/toast_notifications';
 import { EuiComboBox } from '@elastic/eui';
@@ -16,11 +17,13 @@ import {
   DatasourceDimensionPanelProps,
   DatasourceDataPanelProps,
   DimensionPriority,
+  DatasourceSuggestion,
 } from '../types';
 import { getIndexPatterns } from './loader';
 import { ChildDragDropProvider, DragDrop } from '../drag_drop';
 import { toExpression } from './to_expression';
 import { IndexPatternDimensionPanel } from './dimension_panel';
+import { makeOperation, getOperationTypesForField } from './operations';
 
 export type OperationType = 'terms' | 'date_histogram' | 'sum' | 'avg' | 'min' | 'max' | 'count';
 
@@ -235,11 +238,105 @@ export function getIndexPatternDatasource(chrome: Chrome, toastNotifications: To
       };
     },
 
-    getDatasourceSuggestionsForField() {
+    getDatasourceSuggestionsForField(
+      state,
+      item
+    ): Array<DatasourceSuggestion<IndexPatternPrivateState>> {
+      const field: IndexPatternField = item as IndexPatternField;
+
+      if (Object.keys(state.columns).length) {
+        // Not sure how to suggest multiple fields yet
+        return [];
+      }
+
+      const operations = getOperationTypesForField(field);
+      const hasBucket = operations.find(op => op === 'date_histogram' || op === 'terms');
+
+      if (hasBucket) {
+        const column = makeOperation(0, hasBucket, field);
+
+        const countColumn: IndexPatternColumn = {
+          operationId: 'count',
+          label: i18n.translate('xpack.lens.indexPatternOperations.countOfDocuments', {
+            defaultMessage: 'Count of Documents',
+          }),
+          dataType: 'number',
+          isBucketed: false,
+
+          operationType: 'count',
+          sourceField: 'documents',
+        };
+
+        const suggestion: DatasourceSuggestion<IndexPatternPrivateState> = {
+          state: {
+            ...state,
+            columns: {
+              col1: column,
+              col2: countColumn,
+            },
+            columnOrder: ['col1', 'col2'],
+          },
+
+          table: {
+            columns: [
+              {
+                columnId: 'col1',
+                operation: columnToOperation(column),
+              },
+              {
+                columnId: 'col2',
+                operation: columnToOperation(countColumn),
+              },
+            ],
+            isMultiRow: true,
+            datasourceSuggestionId: 0,
+          },
+        };
+
+        return [suggestion];
+      } else if (state.indexPatterns[state.currentIndexPatternId].timeFieldName) {
+        const currentIndexPattern = state.indexPatterns[state.currentIndexPatternId];
+        const dateField = currentIndexPattern.fields.find(
+          f => f.name === currentIndexPattern.timeFieldName
+        )!;
+
+        const column = makeOperation(0, operations[0], field);
+
+        const dateColumn = makeOperation(1, 'date_histogram', dateField);
+
+        const suggestion: DatasourceSuggestion<IndexPatternPrivateState> = {
+          state: {
+            ...state,
+            columns: {
+              col1: dateColumn,
+              col2: column,
+            },
+            columnOrder: ['col1', 'col2'],
+          },
+
+          table: {
+            columns: [
+              {
+                columnId: 'col1',
+                operation: columnToOperation(column),
+              },
+              {
+                columnId: 'col2',
+                operation: columnToOperation(dateColumn),
+              },
+            ],
+            isMultiRow: true,
+            datasourceSuggestionId: 0,
+          },
+        };
+
+        return [suggestion];
+      }
+
       return [];
     },
 
-    getDatasourceSuggestionsFromCurrentState() {
+    getDatasourceSuggestionsFromCurrentState(state) {
       return [];
     },
   };
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_plugin/operations.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_plugin/operations.ts
index 6b252eb65fc51..2a2e6a82722c1 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_plugin/operations.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/indexpattern_plugin/operations.ts
@@ -146,28 +146,38 @@ export function getOperationResultType({ type }: IndexPatternField, op: Operatio
   }
 }
 
+export function makeOperation(
+  index: number,
+  op: OperationType,
+  field: IndexPatternField,
+  suggestedOrder?: DimensionPriority
+): IndexPatternColumn {
+  const operationPanels = getOperationDisplay();
+  return {
+    operationId: `${index}${op}`,
+    label: operationPanels[op].ofName(field.name),
+    dataType: getOperationResultType(field, op),
+    isBucketed: op === 'terms' || op === 'date_histogram',
+
+    operationType: op,
+    sourceField: field.name,
+    suggestedOrder,
+  };
+}
+
 export function getPotentialColumns(
   state: IndexPatternPrivateState,
   suggestedOrder?: DimensionPriority
 ): IndexPatternColumn[] {
   const fields = state.indexPatterns[state.currentIndexPatternId].fields;
 
-  const operationPanels = getOperationDisplay();
-
   const columns: IndexPatternColumn[] = fields
     .map((field, index) => {
       const validOperations = getOperationTypesForField(field);
 
-      return validOperations.map(op => ({
-        operationId: `${index}${op}`,
-        label: operationPanels[op].ofName(field.name),
-        dataType: getOperationResultType(field, op),
-        isBucketed: op === 'terms' || op === 'date_histogram',
-
-        operationType: op,
-        sourceField: field.name,
-        suggestedOrder,
-      }));
+      return validOperations.map(op => {
+        return makeOperation(index, op, field, suggestedOrder);
+      });
     })
     .reduce((prev, current) => prev.concat(current));
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/types.ts b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/types.ts
index dc7f2e04609ef..367d1bdd99c79 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/types.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/lens/public/types.ts
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ export interface Datasource<T = unknown, P = unknown> {
 
   toExpression: (state: T) => Ast | string | null;
 
-  getDatasourceSuggestionsForField: (state: T) => Array<DatasourceSuggestion<T>>;
+  getDatasourceSuggestionsForField: (state: T, field: unknown) => Array<DatasourceSuggestion<T>>;
   getDatasourceSuggestionsFromCurrentState: (state: T) => Array<DatasourceSuggestion<T>>;
 
   getPublicAPI: (state: T, setState: (newState: T) => void) => DatasourcePublicAPI;