diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Conversation/Conversation.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Conversation/Conversation.tsx
index f565c6b9..03fc7655 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Conversation/Conversation.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Conversation/Conversation.tsx
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ export const Conversation = () => {
   );
 
   const messageListRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement | null>(null);
+  const expandingInputRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement | null>(null);
+
   const currConversation = conversationsData?.find(
     (conv) => conv.id === params.conversationId
   );
@@ -175,32 +177,35 @@ export const Conversation = () => {
       </Transition>
 
       <div className="fixed bottom-0 left-0 lg:left-72 right-0 flex flex-col items-center justify-center backdrop-blur-md pt-0">
-        {messages.length === 0 && (
+        {messages.length === 0 && !currentConversationIsQuerying && (
           <div className="w-full md:max-w-3xl grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 gap-2 justify-between px-2 sm:px-3 my-4">
             {templateMessages.map((template) => (
               <MessageTemplate
                 key={template.title}
                 title={template.title}
                 text={template.text}
-                onClick={() =>
+                onClick={() => {
                   sendMessageMutation({
                     message: template.message,
                     conversationId: params.conversationId ?? "",
-                  })
-                }
+                  });
+                  expandingInputRef.current?.focus();
+                }}
               />
             ))}
           </div>
         )}
         <div className="w-full md:max-w-3xl flex flex-col justify-center items-center pb-4 ml-2 mr-2 mb-2 pl-2 pr-2">
           <ExpandingInput
-            onSubmit={(message: string) =>
+            onSubmit={(message: string) => {
               sendMessageMutation({
                 message,
                 conversationId: params.conversationId ?? "",
-              })
-            }
+              });
+              expandingInputRef.current?.focus();
+            }}
             disabled={currentConversationIsQuerying}
+            ref={expandingInputRef}
           />
           <p className="text-gray-400 text-sm">
             Current Connection: {currConnection?.name}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Conversation/ExpandingInput.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Conversation/ExpandingInput.tsx
index b949ff30..0ad712bb 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Conversation/ExpandingInput.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Conversation/ExpandingInput.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import {
   ShieldExclamationIcon,
   ShieldCheckIcon,
 } from "@heroicons/react/24/outline";
-import { SetStateAction, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { SetStateAction, forwardRef, useRef, useState } from "react";
 
 import { Switch, SwitchField, SwitchGroup } from "../Catalyst/switch";
 import { Description, Fieldset, Label } from "../Catalyst/fieldset";
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ import {
 import { useClickOutside } from "../Library/utils";
 import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 
-
 type ExpandingInputProps = {
   onSubmit: (value: string) => void;
   disabled: boolean;
@@ -71,9 +70,7 @@ const MessageSettingsPopup: React.FC<MessageSettingsPopupProps> = ({
         <Fieldset>
           <SwitchGroup>
             <SwitchField>
-              <Label className="flex items-center">
-                Data Security{" "}
-              </Label>
+              <Label className="flex items-center">Data Security </Label>
               <Description>Hide your data from the AI model</Description>
               <Switch
                 color="green"
@@ -90,103 +87,109 @@ const MessageSettingsPopup: React.FC<MessageSettingsPopupProps> = ({
     </Transition>
   );
 };
-const ExpandingInput: React.FC<ExpandingInputProps> = ({
-  onSubmit,
-  disabled,
-}) => {
-  const [inputValue, setInputValue] = useState("");
-  const [messageSettingsShown, setMessageSettingsShown] = useState(false);
-  const currConnection = useGetRelatedConnection();
-  const { data: messageOptions } = useQuery(
-    getMessageOptions(currConnection?.id)
-  );
-  const settingsCogRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement | null>(null);
 
-  const handleChange = (e: {
-    target: {
-      value: SetStateAction<string>;
-      style: { height: string };
-      scrollHeight: any;
+const ExpandingInput = forwardRef<HTMLTextAreaElement, ExpandingInputProps>(
+  ({ onSubmit, disabled }, ref) => {
+    const [inputValue, setInputValue] = useState("");
+    const [messageSettingsShown, setMessageSettingsShown] = useState(false);
+    const currConnection = useGetRelatedConnection();
+    const { data: messageOptions } = useQuery(
+      getMessageOptions(currConnection?.id)
+    );
+    const settingsCogRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement | null>(null);
+
+    const handleChange = (e: {
+      target: {
+        value: SetStateAction<string>;
+        style: { height: string };
+        scrollHeight: any;
+      };
+    }) => {
+      setInputValue(e.target.value);
+      e.target.style.height = "auto"; // Reset textarea height
+      e.target.style.height = `${e.target.scrollHeight}px`; // Set textarea height based on content
     };
-  }) => {
-    setInputValue(e.target.value);
-    e.target.style.height = "auto"; // Reset textarea height
-    e.target.style.height = `${e.target.scrollHeight}px`; // Set textarea height based on content
-  };
 
-  const handleSubmit = () => {
-    if (disabled) return;
-    if (inputValue.length === 0) return;
-    onSubmit(inputValue);
-    setInputValue("");
-  };
+    const handleSubmit = () => {
+      if (disabled) return;
+      if (inputValue.length === 0) return;
+      onSubmit(inputValue);
+      setInputValue("");
+    };
 
-  const handleKeyPress = (e: React.KeyboardEvent<HTMLTextAreaElement>) => {
-    if (e.key === "Enter" && !e.shiftKey) {
-      e.preventDefault();
-      handleSubmit();
+    const handleKeyPress = (e: React.KeyboardEvent<HTMLTextAreaElement>) => {
+      if (e.key === "Enter" && !e.shiftKey) {
+        e.preventDefault();
+        handleSubmit();
 
-      // Reset textarea height
-      e.currentTarget.style.height = "auto";
-    }
-  };
+        // Reset textarea height
+        e.currentTarget.style.height = "auto";
+      }
+    };
 
-  return (
-    <div className="flex flex-col justify-center w-full relative mb-4">
-      <textarea
-        disabled={disabled}
-        name="email"
-        id="email"
-        className={classNames(
-          disabled ? "placeholder:text-gray-600" : "placeholder:text-gray-400",
-          "block rounded-xl border p-4 text-gray-900 shadow-sm sm:text-md sm:leading-6 resize-none dark:text-gray-200 dark:bg-gray-900 dark:border-gray-600 pl-12 sm:pl-20 pr-12 overflow-y-hidden mr-1"
-        )}
-        style={{ height: "auto" }}
-        rows={1}
-        placeholder="Enter your message here..."
-        value={inputValue}
-        onChange={handleChange}
-        onKeyDown={handleKeyPress}
-      />
-      <div className="absolute left-0 top-0 w-full">
-        <MessageSettingsPopup
-          isShown={messageSettingsShown}
-          setIsShown={setMessageSettingsShown}
-          settingsCogRef={settingsCogRef}
+    return (
+      <div className="flex flex-col justify-center w-full relative mb-4">
+        <textarea
+          name="email"
+          id="email"
+          className={classNames(
+            disabled
+              ? "placeholder:text-gray-600 text-gray-800 dark:text-gray-400 dark:bg-gray-800 focus:ring-0"
+              : "placeholder:text-gray-400 text-gray-900 dark:text-gray-200 dark:bg-gray-900",
+            "block rounded-xl border p-4 shadow-sm sm:text-md sm:leading-6 resize-none dark:border-gray-600 pl-12 sm:pl-20 pr-12 overflow-y-hidden mr-1"
+          )}
+          style={{ height: "auto" }}
+          rows={1}
+          placeholder="Enter your message here..."
+          value={inputValue}
+          onChange={handleChange}
+          onKeyDown={handleKeyPress}
+          ref={ref}
         />
-      </div>
-      <div
-        className={
-          "group absolute flex items-center left-0"
-        }
-      >
-        <div ref={settingsCogRef} onClick={() => setMessageSettingsShown((prev) => !prev)} className="hover:cursor-pointer hover:bg-white/10 dark:text-gray-400 ml-2 p-1 rounded-md transition-all duration-150">
-          <Cog6ToothIcon
-            className={"hover:-rotate-6 h-6 w-6 [&>path]:stroke-[2]"}
+        <div className="absolute left-0 top-0 w-full">
+          <MessageSettingsPopup
+            isShown={messageSettingsShown}
+            setIsShown={setMessageSettingsShown}
+            settingsCogRef={settingsCogRef}
           />
         </div>
-        <div className="dark:text-gray-400 ml-1 invisible sm:visible">
-          {messageOptions?.secure_data ? <ShieldCheckIcon className="h-6 w-6 text-green-500 [&>path]:stroke-[2]" /> : <ShieldExclamationIcon className="h-6 w-6 text-gray-400 [&>path]:stroke-[2]" />}
+        <div className={"group absolute flex items-center left-0"}>
+          <div
+            ref={settingsCogRef}
+            onClick={() => setMessageSettingsShown((prev) => !prev)}
+            className="hover:cursor-pointer hover:bg-white/10 dark:text-gray-400 ml-2 p-1 rounded-md transition-all duration-150"
+          >
+            <Cog6ToothIcon
+              className={"hover:-rotate-6 h-6 w-6 [&>path]:stroke-[2]"}
+            />
+          </div>
+          <div className="dark:text-gray-400 ml-1 invisible sm:visible">
+            {messageOptions?.secure_data ? (
+              <ShieldCheckIcon className="h-6 w-6 text-green-500 [&>path]:stroke-[2]" />
+            ) : (
+              <ShieldExclamationIcon className="h-6 w-6 text-gray-400 [&>path]:stroke-[2]" />
+            )}
+          </div>
         </div>
-      </div>
-      <div
-        onClick={handleSubmit}
-        className={classNames(
-          inputValue.length > 0
-            ? "dark:text-gray-700 dark:bg-gray-300 dark:hover:cursor-pointer"
-            : "",
-          "group absolute right-0 mr-4 -rotate-90 dark:text-gray-400 p-1 rounded-md transition-all duration-150"
-        )}
-      >
-        <PaperAirplaneIcon
+        <div
+          onClick={handleSubmit}
           className={classNames(
-            inputValue.length > 0 ? "group-hover:-rotate-6" : "",
-            "h-6 w-6 [&>path]:stroke-[2]"
+            inputValue.length > 0 && !disabled
+              ? "dark:text-gray-700 dark:bg-gray-300 dark:hover:cursor-pointer"
+              : "",
+            "group absolute right-0 mr-4 -rotate-90 dark:text-gray-400 p-1 rounded-md transition-all duration-150"
           )}
-        ></PaperAirplaneIcon>
+        >
+          <PaperAirplaneIcon
+            className={classNames(
+              inputValue.length > 0 ? "group-hover:-rotate-6" : "",
+              "h-6 w-6 [&>path]:stroke-[2]"
+            )}
+          ></PaperAirplaneIcon>
+        </div>
       </div>
-    </div>
-  );
-};
+    );
+  }
+);
 
 export default ExpandingInput;