diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/common/components/markdown_editor/plugins/timeline/processor.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/common/components/markdown_editor/plugins/timeline/processor.tsx
index f70f96a26c83a..9d0f68a9bb483 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/common/components/markdown_editor/plugins/timeline/processor.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/common/components/markdown_editor/plugins/timeline/processor.tsx
@@ -11,16 +11,30 @@ import { EuiToolTip, EuiLink } from '@elastic/eui';
 import { useTimelineClick } from '../../../../utils/timeline/use_timeline_click';
 import { TimelineProps } from './types';
 import * as i18n from './translations';
+import { useAppToasts } from '../../../../hooks/use_app_toasts';
 
 export const TimelineMarkDownRendererComponent: React.FC<TimelineProps> = ({
   id,
   title,
   graphEventId,
 }) => {
+  const { addError } = useAppToasts();
+
   const handleTimelineClick = useTimelineClick();
+
+  const onError = useCallback(
+    (error: Error, timelineId: string) => {
+      addError(error, {
+        title: i18n.TIMELINE_ERROR_TITLE,
+        toastMessage: i18n.FAILED_TO_RETRIEVE_TIMELINE(timelineId),
+      });
+    },
+    [addError]
+  );
+
   const onClickTimeline = useCallback(
-    () => handleTimelineClick(id ?? '', graphEventId),
-    [id, graphEventId, handleTimelineClick]
+    () => handleTimelineClick(id ?? '', onError, graphEventId),
+    [id, graphEventId, handleTimelineClick, onError]
   );
   return (
     <EuiToolTip content={i18n.TIMELINE_ID(id ?? '')}>
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/common/components/markdown_editor/plugins/timeline/translations.ts b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/common/components/markdown_editor/plugins/timeline/translations.ts
index a32f9c263be49..2c3f5e30b5b5d 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/common/components/markdown_editor/plugins/timeline/translations.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/common/components/markdown_editor/plugins/timeline/translations.ts
@@ -53,3 +53,19 @@ export const NO_PARENTHESES = i18n.translate(
     defaultMessage: 'Expected left parentheses',
   }
 );
+
+export const FAILED_TO_RETRIEVE_TIMELINE = (timelineId: string) =>
+  i18n.translate(
+    'xpack.securitySolution.markdownEditor.plugins.timeline.failedRetrieveTimelineErrorMsg',
+    {
+      defaultMessage: 'Failed to retrieve timeline id: { timelineId }',
+      values: { timelineId },
+    }
+  );
+
+export const TIMELINE_ERROR_TITLE = i18n.translate(
+  'xpack.securitySolution.markdownEditor.plugins.timeline.timelineErrorTitle',
+  {
+    defaultMessage: 'Timeline Error',
+  }
+);
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/common/utils/timeline/use_timeline_click.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/common/utils/timeline/use_timeline_click.tsx
index 2756ba2a696e1..826ac7c32b7b0 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/common/utils/timeline/use_timeline_click.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/common/utils/timeline/use_timeline_click.tsx
@@ -11,16 +11,18 @@ import {
   dispatchUpdateTimeline,
   queryTimelineById,
 } from '../../../timelines/components/open_timeline/helpers';
+import { TimelineErrorCallback } from '../../../timelines/components/open_timeline/types';
 import { updateIsLoading as dispatchUpdateIsLoading } from '../../../timelines/store/timeline/actions';
 
 export const useTimelineClick = () => {
   const dispatch = useDispatch();
 
   const handleTimelineClick = useCallback(
-    (timelineId: string, graphEventId?: string) => {
+    (timelineId: string, onError: TimelineErrorCallback, graphEventId?: string) => {
       queryTimelineById({
         graphEventId,
         timelineId,
+        onError,
         updateIsLoading: ({
           id: currentTimelineId,
           isLoading,
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/components/open_timeline/helpers.test.ts b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/components/open_timeline/helpers.test.ts
index 69b63e83186e3..5d52d2c8a4d48 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/components/open_timeline/helpers.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/components/open_timeline/helpers.test.ts
@@ -939,17 +939,46 @@ describe('helpers', () => {
   });
 
   describe('queryTimelineById', () => {
+    describe('encounters failure when retrieving a timeline', () => {
+      const onError = jest.fn();
+      const mockError = new Error('failed');
+
+      const args = {
+        timelineId: '123',
+        onError,
+        updateIsLoading: jest.fn(),
+        updateTimeline: jest.fn(),
+      };
+
+      beforeAll(async () => {
+        (getTimeline as jest.Mock).mockRejectedValue(mockError);
+        queryTimelineById<{}>(args as unknown as QueryTimelineById<{}>);
+      });
+
+      afterAll(() => {
+        jest.clearAllMocks();
+      });
+
+      test('calls onError with the error', () => {
+        expect(onError).toHaveBeenCalledWith(mockError, '123');
+      });
+    });
+
     describe('open a timeline', () => {
-      const updateIsLoading = jest.fn();
       const selectedTimeline = {
         ...mockSelectedTimeline,
       };
+
+      const updateIsLoading = jest.fn();
       const onOpenTimeline = jest.fn();
+      const onError = jest.fn();
+
       const args = {
         duplicate: false,
         graphEventId: '',
         timelineId: '',
         timelineType: TimelineType.default,
+        onError,
         onOpenTimeline,
         openTimeline: true,
         updateIsLoading,
@@ -976,6 +1005,10 @@ describe('helpers', () => {
         expect(getTimeline).toHaveBeenCalled();
       });
 
+      test('it does not call onError when an error does not occur', () => {
+        expect(onError).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      });
+
       test('Do not override daterange if TimelineStatus is active', () => {
         const { timeline } = formatTimelineResultToModel(
           omitTypenameInTimeline(getOr({}, 'data.getOneTimeline', selectedTimeline)),
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/components/open_timeline/helpers.ts b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/components/open_timeline/helpers.ts
index c72aa5878478d..2a3b49517b456 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/components/open_timeline/helpers.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/components/open_timeline/helpers.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,12 @@ import {
   DEFAULT_COLUMN_MIN_WIDTH,
 } from '../timeline/body/constants';
 
-import { OpenTimelineResult, UpdateTimeline, DispatchUpdateTimeline } from './types';
+import {
+  OpenTimelineResult,
+  UpdateTimeline,
+  DispatchUpdateTimeline,
+  TimelineErrorCallback,
+} from './types';
 import { createNote } from '../notes/helpers';
 import { IS_OPERATOR } from '../timeline/data_providers/data_provider';
 import { normalizeTimeRange } from '../../../common/components/url_state/normalize_time_range';
@@ -313,6 +318,7 @@ export interface QueryTimelineById<TCache> {
   graphEventId?: string;
   timelineId: string;
   timelineType?: TimelineType;
+  onError?: TimelineErrorCallback;
   onOpenTimeline?: (timeline: TimelineModel) => void;
   openTimeline?: boolean;
   updateIsLoading: ({
@@ -331,6 +337,7 @@ export const queryTimelineById = <TCache>({
   graphEventId = '',
   timelineId,
   timelineType,
+  onError,
   onOpenTimeline,
   openTimeline = true,
   updateIsLoading,
@@ -372,6 +379,11 @@ export const queryTimelineById = <TCache>({
         })();
       }
     })
+    .catch((error) => {
+      if (onError != null) {
+        onError(error, timelineId);
+      }
+    })
     .finally(() => {
       updateIsLoading({ id: TimelineId.active, isLoading: false });
     });
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/components/open_timeline/types.ts b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/components/open_timeline/types.ts
index cddf4e8d71d60..79a700856c00f 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/components/open_timeline/types.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/security_solution/public/timelines/components/open_timeline/types.ts
@@ -235,3 +235,5 @@ export interface TemplateTimelineFilter {
   withNext: boolean;
   count: number | undefined;
 }
+
+export type TimelineErrorCallback = (error: Error, timelineId: string) => void;