diff --git a/website/src/components/SearchPage/SearchFullUI.tsx b/website/src/components/SearchPage/SearchFullUI.tsx
index dd69a6bb76..d40a87cf53 100644
--- a/website/src/components/SearchPage/SearchFullUI.tsx
+++ b/website/src/components/SearchPage/SearchFullUI.tsx
@@ -91,10 +91,66 @@ export const InnerSearchFullUI = ({
         return consolidateGroupedFields(metadataSchemaWithExpandedRanges);
     }, [metadataSchema]);
 
-    const [previewedSeqId, setPreviewedSeqId] = useState<string | null>(null);
-    const [previewHalfScreen, setPreviewHalfScreen] = useState(false);
     const [state, setState] = useQueryAsState(initialQueryDict);
 
+    // Initialize previewedSeqId from URL parameter if present
+    const [previewedSeqId, setPreviewedSeqIdInner] = useState<string | null>(state.selectedSeq || null);
+    const [previewHalfScreen, setPreviewHalfScreenInner] = useState(state.halfScreen === 'true');
+
+    // Function to update both state and URL for half screen preference
+    const setPreviewHalfScreen = useCallback(
+        (isHalfScreen: boolean) => {
+            setPreviewHalfScreenInner(isHalfScreen);
+            setState((prev: QueryState) => {
+                if (!isHalfScreen) {
+                    const withoutHalfScreenSet = { ...prev };
+                    delete withoutHalfScreenSet.halfScreen;
+                    return withoutHalfScreenSet;
+                } else {
+                    return {
+                        ...prev,
+                        halfScreen: 'true',
+                    };
+                }
+            });
+        },
+        [setState],
+    );
+
+    // Function to update both state and URL for selected sequence
+    const setPreviewedSeqId = useCallback(
+        (seqId: string | null) => {
+            setPreviewedSeqIdInner(seqId);
+            setState((prev: QueryState) => {
+                if (seqId === null) {
+                    const withoutSeqIdSet = { ...prev };
+                    delete withoutSeqIdSet.selectedSeq;
+                    return withoutSeqIdSet;
+                } else {
+                    return {
+                        ...prev,
+                        selectedSeq: seqId,
+                    };
+                }
+            });
+        },
+        [setState],
+    );
+
+    // Update local state when URL parameters change
+    useEffect(() => {
+        if (state.selectedSeq !== undefined && state.selectedSeq !== previewedSeqId) {
+            setPreviewedSeqIdInner(state.selectedSeq);
+        } else if (state.selectedSeq === undefined && previewedSeqId !== null) {
+            setPreviewedSeqIdInner(null);
+        }
+
+        const halfScreenFromUrl = state.halfScreen === 'true';
+        if (halfScreenFromUrl !== previewHalfScreen) {
+            setPreviewHalfScreenInner(halfScreenFromUrl);
+        }
+    }, [state.selectedSeq, state.halfScreen, previewedSeqId, previewHalfScreen]);
+
     const searchVisibilities = useMemo(() => {
         return getFieldVisibilitiesFromQuery(schema, state);
     }, [schema, state]);
diff --git a/website/tests/pages/search/index.spec.ts b/website/tests/pages/search/index.spec.ts
index 36577b91e3..2204a3f49a 100644
--- a/website/tests/pages/search/index.spec.ts
+++ b/website/tests/pages/search/index.spec.ts
@@ -157,4 +157,61 @@ test.describe('The search page', () => {
         void expect(page.getByRole('checkbox', { name: 'Pango lineage' })).toBeVisible();
         void expect(page.getByRole('checkbox', { name: 'Hidden Field' })).not.toBeVisible();
     });
+
+    test('should add selected sequence to URL when clicking a sequence', async ({ searchPage, page }) => {
+        // Go to search page
+        await searchPage.goto();
+
+        // Get accessions using the helper method that returns a Promise
+        const accessions = await searchPage.getAccessions(1);
+        const accessionId = accessions[0];
+
+        // Find the link with the accession ID
+        const accessionLink = page.getByRole('link', { name: accessionId });
+
+        // Click to show the sequence preview modal
+        await accessionLink.click();
+
+        // Wait for the modal to appear
+        await expect(page.getByText('Amino acid mutations')).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30000 });
+
+        // Verify URL contains the selectedSeq parameter
+        await expect(page).toHaveURL(new RegExp(`selectedSeq=${accessionId}`));
+    });
+
+    test('should add halfScreen parameter to URL when toggling view mode', async ({ searchPage, page }) => {
+        // Go to search page and click a sequence
+        await searchPage.goto();
+        const firstAccessionLink = page.getByRole('link', { name: /LOC_\d+\.\d+/ });
+        await firstAccessionLink.click();
+
+        // Wait for the modal to appear
+        await expect(page.getByText('Amino acid mutations')).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30000 });
+
+        // Click the dock button (halfScreen toggle)
+        await page.getByTitle('Dock sequence details view').click();
+
+        // Verify URL contains the halfScreen parameter
+        await expect(page).toHaveURL(/halfScreen=true/);
+
+        // Toggle back to full screen
+        await page.getByTitle('Expand sequence details view').click();
+
+        // Verify halfScreen parameter is removed from URL
+        await expect(page).not.toHaveURL(/halfScreen/);
+    });
+
+    test('should restore state from URL parameters', async ({ searchPage, page }) => {
+        // Get a valid sequence ID first by using the searchPage fixture
+        await searchPage.goto();
+
+        const accessions = await searchPage.getAccessions(1);
+
+        const accessionId = /LOC_\d+\.\d+/.exec(accessions[0])[0];
+
+        await page.goto(`${baseUrl}${routes.searchPage(dummyOrganism.key)}?selectedSeq=${accessionId}&halfScreen=true`);
+
+        await expect(page.getByText('Amino acid mutations')).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30000 });
+        await expect(page.getByTitle('Expand sequence details view')).toBeVisible();
+    });
 });