diff --git a/awx/ui_next/src/components/CodeEditor/CodeEditor.jsx b/awx/ui_next/src/components/CodeEditor/CodeEditor.jsx
index 7db780cb75..b60934a665 100644
--- a/awx/ui_next/src/components/CodeEditor/CodeEditor.jsx
+++ b/awx/ui_next/src/components/CodeEditor/CodeEditor.jsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { useEffect, useRef, useCallback } from 'react';
+import React, { useEffect, useRef, useCallback, useState } from 'react';
 import { oneOf, bool, number, string, func } from 'prop-types';
 import ReactAce from 'react-ace';
 import 'ace-builds/src-noconflict/mode-json';
@@ -6,11 +6,23 @@ import 'ace-builds/src-noconflict/mode-javascript';
 import 'ace-builds/src-noconflict/mode-yaml';
 import 'ace-builds/src-noconflict/mode-django';
 import 'ace-builds/src-noconflict/theme-github';
+import { withI18n } from '@lingui/react';
+import { t } from '@lingui/macro';
 import styled from 'styled-components';
 
 const LINE_HEIGHT = 24;
 const PADDING = 12;
 
+const FocusWrapper = styled.div`
+  && + .pf-c-form__helper-text {
+    display: none;
+  }
+
+  &:focus-within + .pf-c-form__helper-text {
+    display: block;
+  }
+`;
+
 const AceEditor = styled(ReactAce)`
   font-family: var(--pf-global--FontFamily--monospace);
   max-height: 90vh;
@@ -45,16 +57,21 @@ function CodeEditor({
   rows,
   fullHeight,
   className,
+  i18n,
 }) {
+  const [isKeyboardFocused, setIsKeyboardFocused] = useState(false);
   const wrapper = useRef(null);
   const editor = useRef(null);
 
-  useEffect(function removeTextareaTabIndex() {
-    const editorInput = editor.current.refEditor?.querySelector('textarea');
-    if (editorInput) {
-      editorInput.tabIndex = -1;
-    }
-  }, []);
+  useEffect(
+    function removeTextareaTabIndex() {
+      const editorInput = editor.current.refEditor?.querySelector('textarea');
+      if (editorInput && !readOnly) {
+        editorInput.tabIndex = -1;
+      }
+    },
+    [readOnly]
+  );
 
   const listen = useCallback(event => {
     if (
@@ -88,43 +105,60 @@ function CodeEditor({
   const numRows = fullHeight ? value.split('\n').length : rows;
 
   return (
-    /* eslint-disable-next-line jsx-a11y/no-noninteractive-tabindex */
-    <div ref={wrapper} tabIndex={0}>
-      <AceEditor
-        mode={aceModes[mode] || 'text'}
-        className={`pf-c-form-control ${className}`}
-        theme="github"
-        onChange={onChange}
-        value={value}
-        name={id || 'code-editor'}
-        editorProps={{ $blockScrolling: true }}
-        fontSize={16}
-        width="100%"
-        height={`${numRows * LINE_HEIGHT + PADDING}px`}
-        hasErrors={hasErrors}
-        setOptions={{
-          readOnly,
-          useWorker: false,
+    <>
+      <FocusWrapper
+        ref={wrapper}
+        tabIndex={readOnly ? -1 : 0}
+        onFocus={e => {
+          if (e.target === e.currentTarget) {
+            setIsKeyboardFocused(true);
+          }
+          if (e.target.className.includes('ace_scrollbar')) {
+            setIsKeyboardFocused(false);
+          }
         }}
-        commands={[
-          {
-            name: 'escape',
-            bindKey: { win: 'Esc', mac: 'Esc' },
-            exec: () => {
-              wrapper.current.focus();
+      >
+        <AceEditor
+          mode={aceModes[mode] || 'text'}
+          className={`pf-c-form-control ${className}`}
+          theme="github"
+          onChange={onChange}
+          value={value}
+          name={id || 'code-editor'}
+          editorProps={{ $blockScrolling: true }}
+          fontSize={16}
+          width="100%"
+          height={`${numRows * LINE_HEIGHT + PADDING}px`}
+          hasErrors={hasErrors}
+          setOptions={{
+            readOnly,
+            useWorker: false,
+          }}
+          commands={[
+            {
+              name: 'escape',
+              bindKey: { win: 'Esc', mac: 'Esc' },
+              exec: () => {
+                wrapper.current.focus();
+              },
             },
-          },
-          {
-            name: 'tab escape',
-            bindKey: { win: 'Shift-Tab', mac: 'Shift-Tab' },
-            exec: () => {
-              wrapper.current.focus();
+            {
+              name: 'tab escape',
+              bindKey: { win: 'Shift-Tab', mac: 'Shift-Tab' },
+              exec: () => {
+                wrapper.current.focus();
+              },
             },
-          },
-        ]}
-        ref={editor}
-      />
-    </div>
+          ]}
+          ref={editor}
+        />
+      </FocusWrapper>
+      {isKeyboardFocused && (
+        <div className="pf-c-form__helper-text" aria-live="polite">
+          {i18n._(t`Press Enter to edit. Press ESC to stop editing.`)}
+        </div>
+      )}
+    </>
   );
 }
 CodeEditor.propTypes = {
@@ -146,4 +180,4 @@ CodeEditor.defaultProps = {
   className: '',
 };
 
-export default CodeEditor;
+export default withI18n()(CodeEditor);