diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/components/block-tools/zoom-out-mode-inserters.js b/packages/block-editor/src/components/block-tools/zoom-out-mode-inserters.js
index bb044f9479c024..6f986ce90dc3bd 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/components/block-tools/zoom-out-mode-inserters.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/components/block-tools/zoom-out-mode-inserters.js
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ function ZoomOutModeInserters() {
 		sectionRootClientId,
 		selectedBlockClientId,
 		hoveredBlockClientId,
+		inserterSearchInputRef,
 	} = useSelect( ( select ) => {
 		const {
 			getSettings,
@@ -32,8 +33,11 @@ function ZoomOutModeInserters() {
 			getSelectedBlockClientId,
 			getHoveredBlockClientId,
 			isBlockInsertionPointVisible,
-		} = select( blockEditorStore );
+			getInserterSearchInputRef,
+		} = unlock( select( blockEditorStore ) );
+
 		const { sectionRootClientId: root } = unlock( getSettings() );
+
 		return {
 			hasSelection: !! getSelectionStart().clientId,
 			blockInsertionPoint: getBlockInsertionPoint(),
@@ -44,6 +48,7 @@ function ZoomOutModeInserters() {
 				getSettings().__experimentalSetIsInserterOpened,
 			selectedBlockClientId: getSelectedBlockClientId(),
 			hoveredBlockClientId: getHoveredBlockClientId(),
+			inserterSearchInputRef: getInserterSearchInputRef(),
 		};
 	}, [] );
 
@@ -110,6 +115,7 @@ function ZoomOutModeInserters() {
 							showInsertionPoint( sectionRootClientId, index, {
 								operation: 'insert',
 							} );
+							inserterSearchInputRef?.current?.focus();
 						} }
 					/>
 				) }
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/components/inserter/library.js b/packages/block-editor/src/components/inserter/library.js
index 4e10a051996a9f..fe14d48bb4016b 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/components/inserter/library.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/components/inserter/library.js
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ function InserterLibrary(
 		onSelect = noop,
 		shouldFocusBlock = false,
 		onClose,
+		__experimentalSearchInputRef,
 	},
 	ref
 ) {
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ function InserterLibrary(
 			shouldFocusBlock={ shouldFocusBlock }
 			ref={ ref }
 			onClose={ onClose }
+			__experimentalSearchInputRef={ __experimentalSearchInputRef }
 		/>
 	);
 }
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/components/inserter/menu.js b/packages/block-editor/src/components/inserter/menu.js
index 52e4e3062e9024..c5f41f9e3bf0a0 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/components/inserter/menu.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/components/inserter/menu.js
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import useInsertionPoint from './hooks/use-insertion-point';
 import { store as blockEditorStore } from '../../store';
 import TabbedSidebar from '../tabbed-sidebar';
 import { useZoomOut } from '../../hooks/use-zoom-out';
+import { unlock } from '../../lock-unlock';
 
 const NOOP = () => {};
 function InserterMenu(
@@ -53,11 +54,16 @@ function InserterMenu(
 	},
 	ref
 ) {
-	const isZoomOutMode = useSelect(
-		( select ) =>
-			select( blockEditorStore ).__unstableGetEditorMode() === 'zoom-out',
-		[]
-	);
+	const { isZoomOutMode, inserterSearchInputRef } = useSelect( ( select ) => {
+		const { __unstableGetEditorMode, getInserterSearchInputRef } = unlock(
+			select( blockEditorStore )
+		);
+		return {
+			isZoomOutMode: __unstableGetEditorMode() === 'zoom-out',
+			inserterSearchInputRef: getInserterSearchInputRef(),
+		};
+	}, [] );
+
 	const [ filterValue, setFilterValue, delayedFilterValue ] =
 		useDebouncedInput( __experimentalFilterValue );
 	const [ hoveredItem, setHoveredItem ] = useState( null );
@@ -104,7 +110,7 @@ function InserterMenu(
 				}
 			} );
 		},
-		[ onInsertBlocks, onSelect, shouldFocusBlock ]
+		[ onInsertBlocks, onSelect, ref, shouldFocusBlock ]
 	);
 
 	const onInsertPattern = useCallback(
@@ -113,7 +119,7 @@ function InserterMenu(
 			onInsertBlocks( blocks, { patternName } );
 			onSelect();
 		},
-		[ onInsertBlocks, onSelect ]
+		[ onInsertBlocks, onSelect, onToggleInsertionPoint ]
 	);
 
 	const onHover = useCallback(
@@ -164,7 +170,9 @@ function InserterMenu(
 					value={ filterValue }
 					label={ __( 'Search for blocks and patterns' ) }
 					placeholder={ __( 'Search' ) }
+					ref={ inserterSearchInputRef }
 				/>
+
 				{ !! delayedFilterValue && (
 					<InserterSearchResults
 						filterValue={ delayedFilterValue }
@@ -185,18 +193,18 @@ function InserterMenu(
 		);
 	}, [
 		selectedTab,
-		hoveredItem,
-		setHoveredItem,
-		setFilterValue,
 		filterValue,
+		inserterSearchInputRef,
 		delayedFilterValue,
 		onSelect,
 		onHover,
-		shouldFocusBlock,
-		clientId,
 		rootClientId,
-		__experimentalInsertionIndex,
+		clientId,
 		isAppender,
+		__experimentalInsertionIndex,
+		shouldFocusBlock,
+		hoveredItem,
+		setFilterValue,
 	] );
 
 	const blocksTab = useMemo( () => {
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/store/private-selectors.js b/packages/block-editor/src/store/private-selectors.js
index c534c65b8defe7..dcd315a0ae2804 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/store/private-selectors.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/store/private-selectors.js
@@ -511,3 +511,7 @@ export function getTemporarilyEditingAsBlocks( state ) {
 export function getTemporarilyEditingFocusModeToRevert( state ) {
 	return state.temporarilyEditingFocusModeRevert;
 }
+
+export function getInserterSearchInputRef( state ) {
+	return state.inserterSearchInputRef;
+}
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/store/reducer.js b/packages/block-editor/src/store/reducer.js
index cd4569c45e5801..6e8ed4834cd6b9 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/store/reducer.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/store/reducer.js
@@ -2085,6 +2085,10 @@ export function hoveredBlockClientId( state = false, action ) {
 	return state;
 }
 
+export function inserterSearchInputRef( state = { current: null } ) {
+	return state;
+}
+
 const combinedReducers = combineReducers( {
 	blocks,
 	isDragging,
@@ -2118,6 +2122,7 @@ const combinedReducers = combineReducers( {
 	openedBlockSettingsMenu,
 	registeredInserterMediaCategories,
 	hoveredBlockClientId,
+	inserterSearchInputRef,
 } );
 
 function withAutomaticChangeReset( reducer ) {