diff --git a/apps/metadata-editor-e2e/src/e2e/edit.cy.ts b/apps/metadata-editor-e2e/src/e2e/edit.cy.ts
index 031ffc5d3..8ea299de8 100644
--- a/apps/metadata-editor-e2e/src/e2e/edit.cy.ts
+++ b/apps/metadata-editor-e2e/src/e2e/edit.cy.ts
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ describe('editor form', () => {
             .should('have.length', 0)
           cy.get('gn-ui-form-field-spatial-extent')
             .find('gn-ui-autocomplete')
-            .click()
+            .type('a')
           cy.get('mat-option').eq(1).click()
           cy.editor_publishAndReload()
           cy.get('@saveStatus').should('eq', 'record_up_to_date')
@@ -585,7 +585,9 @@ describe('editor form', () => {
         })
         it('should add a keyword', () => {
           cy.editor_wrapPreviousDraft()
-          cy.get('gn-ui-form-field-keywords').find('gn-ui-autocomplete').click()
+          cy.get('gn-ui-form-field-keywords')
+            .find('gn-ui-autocomplete')
+            .type('a')
           cy.get('mat-option').first().click()
           cy.editor_publishAndReload()
           cy.get('@saveStatus').should('eq', 'record_up_to_date')
diff --git a/libs/feature/editor/src/lib/components/generic-keywords/generic-keywords.component.html b/libs/feature/editor/src/lib/components/generic-keywords/generic-keywords.component.html
index b7bf99890..9b5d13c75 100644
--- a/libs/feature/editor/src/lib/components/generic-keywords/generic-keywords.component.html
+++ b/libs/feature/editor/src/lib/components/generic-keywords/generic-keywords.component.html
@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@
     [action]="autoCompleteAction"
     (itemSelected)="handleItemSelection($event)"
     [preventCompleteOnSelection]="true"
-    [minCharacterCount]="0"
+    [minCharacterCount]="1"
     [allowSubmit]="false"
+    [clearOnSelection]="true"
   ></gn-ui-autocomplete>
   <div class="flex gap-2 flex-wrap">
     <gn-ui-badge