diff --git a/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-contribution.ts b/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-contribution.ts
index cc889b31e0e68..152419d894f7e 100644
--- a/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-contribution.ts
+++ b/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-contribution.ts
@@ -51,14 +51,14 @@ export class GettingStartedContribution extends AbstractViewContribution<Getting
     async onStart(app: FrontendApplication): Promise<void> {
         if (!this.workspaceService.opened) {
             this.stateService.reachedState('ready').then(
-                () => this.openView({ reveal: true })
+                () => this.openView({ reveal: true, activate: true })
             );
         }
     }
 
     override registerCommands(registry: CommandRegistry): void {
         registry.registerCommand(GettingStartedCommand, {
-            execute: () => this.openView({ reveal: true }),
+            execute: () => this.openView({ reveal: true, activate: true }),
         });
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-widget.tsx b/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-widget.tsx
index 5f3b363c30f56..a103e32a89584 100644
--- a/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-widget.tsx
+++ b/packages/getting-started/src/browser/getting-started-widget.tsx
@@ -17,11 +17,10 @@
 import * as React from '@theia/core/shared/react';
 import URI from '@theia/core/lib/common/uri';
 import { injectable, inject, postConstruct } from '@theia/core/shared/inversify';
-import { ReactWidget } from '@theia/core/lib/browser/widgets/react-widget';
 import { CommandRegistry, isOSX, environment, Path } from '@theia/core/lib/common';
 import { WorkspaceCommands, WorkspaceService } from '@theia/workspace/lib/browser';
 import { KeymapsCommands } from '@theia/keymaps/lib/browser';
-import { CommonCommands, LabelProvider, Key, KeyCode, codicon } from '@theia/core/lib/browser';
+import { Message, ReactWidget, CommonCommands, LabelProvider, Key, KeyCode, codicon } from '@theia/core/lib/browser';
 import { ApplicationInfo, ApplicationServer } from '@theia/core/lib/common/application-protocol';
 import { FrontendApplicationConfigProvider } from '@theia/core/lib/browser/frontend-application-config-provider';
 import { EnvVariablesServer } from '@theia/core/lib/common/env-variables';
@@ -111,6 +110,14 @@ export class GettingStartedWidget extends ReactWidget {
         this.update();
     }
 
+    protected override onActivateRequest(msg: Message): void {
+        super.onActivateRequest(msg);
+        const elArr = this.node.getElementsByTagName('a');
+        if (elArr && elArr.length > 0) {
+            (elArr[0] as HTMLElement).focus();
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Render the content of the widget.
      */