diff --git a/packages/playground/website/playwright/e2e/website-ui.spec.ts b/packages/playground/website/playwright/e2e/website-ui.spec.ts
index 405bd396c7..7b7636a1e2 100644
--- a/packages/playground/website/playwright/e2e/website-ui.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/playground/website/playwright/e2e/website-ui.spec.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ test('should reflect the URL update from the navigation bar in the WordPress sit
 }) => {
 	await website.goto('./?url=/wp-admin');
 
-	await website.expandSiteView();
+	await website.ensureSiteViewIsExpanded();
 
 	await expect(website.page.locator('input[value="/wp-admin/"]')).toHaveValue(
 		'/wp-admin/'
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ test('should reflect the URL update from the navigation bar in the WordPress sit
 test('should switch between sites', async ({ website }) => {
 	await website.goto('./');
 
+	await website.ensureSiteManagerIsOpen();
 	await website.openNewSiteModal();
 
 	const newSiteName = await website.page
@@ -111,6 +112,8 @@ test('should display networking as inactive by default', async ({
 }) => {
 	await website.goto('./');
 
+	await website.ensureSiteManagerIsOpen();
+
 	await expect(await website.hasNetworkingEnabled()).toBeFalsy();
 });
 
@@ -118,6 +121,7 @@ test('should display networking as active when networking is enabled', async ({
 	website,
 }) => {
 	await website.goto('./?networking=yes');
+	await website.ensureSiteManagerIsOpen();
 	await expect(await website.hasNetworkingEnabled()).toBeTruthy();
 });
 
diff --git a/packages/playground/website/playwright/website-page.ts b/packages/playground/website/playwright/website-page.ts
index b680ba2100..5eb95f8cd9 100644
--- a/packages/playground/website/playwright/website-page.ts
+++ b/packages/playground/website/playwright/website-page.ts
@@ -21,9 +21,22 @@ export class WebsitePage {
 		return response;
 	}
 
-	async expandSiteView() {
+	async ensureSiteManagerIsOpen() {
+		const siteManagerHeading = this.page.getByText('Your Playgrounds');
+		if (!(await siteManagerHeading.isVisible({ timeout: 5000 }))) {
+			await this.page.getByLabel('Open Site Manager').click();
+		}
+		expect(await siteManagerHeading.isVisible()).toBeTruthy();
+	}
+
+	async ensureSiteViewIsExpanded() {
 		const openSiteButton = this.page.locator('div[title="Open site"]');
-		await openSiteButton.click();
+		if (await openSiteButton.isVisible({ timeout: 5000 })) {
+			await openSiteButton.click();
+		}
+
+		const siteManagerHeading = this.page.getByText('Your Playgrounds');
+		expect(await siteManagerHeading.isVisible()).toBeFalsy();
 	}
 
 	async openNewSiteModal() {
@@ -53,6 +66,7 @@ export class WebsitePage {
 	}
 
 	async openForkPlaygroundSettings() {
+		await this.ensureSiteManagerIsOpen();
 		const editSettingsButton = this.page.locator(
 			'button.components-button',
 			{
diff --git a/packages/playground/website/src/lib/state/redux/slice-ui.ts b/packages/playground/website/src/lib/state/redux/slice-ui.ts
index b10cb1d62d..356ff5f882 100644
--- a/packages/playground/website/src/lib/state/redux/slice-ui.ts
+++ b/packages/playground/website/src/lib/state/redux/slice-ui.ts
@@ -23,19 +23,28 @@ const isEmbeddedInAnIframe = window.self !== window.top;
 // @TODO: Centralize these breakpoint sizes.
 const isMobile = window.innerWidth < 875;
 
+const shouldOpenSiteManagerByDefault = false;
+
 const initialState: UIState = {
 	activeModal:
 		query.get('modal') === 'mount-markdown-directory'
 			? 'mount-markdown-directory'
 			: null,
 	offline: !navigator.onLine,
-	// Open site manager for direct playground.wordpress.net visitors,
-	// unless they specifically request seamless mode.
-	// Don't default to the site manager on mobile, as that would mean
-	// seeing something that's not Playground filling your entire screen –
-	// quite a confusing experience.
+	// NOTE: Please do not eliminate the cases in this siteManagerIsOpen expression,
+	// even if they seem redundant. We may experiment which toggling the manager
+	// to be open by default or closed by default, and we do not want to lose
+	// specific reasons for the manager to be closed.
 	siteManagerIsOpen:
-		query.get('mode') !== 'seamless' && !isEmbeddedInAnIframe && !isMobile,
+		shouldOpenSiteManagerByDefault &&
+		// The site manager should not be shown at all in seamless mode.
+		query.get('mode') !== 'seamless' &&
+		// We do not expect to render the Playground app UI in an iframe.
+		!isEmbeddedInAnIframe &&
+		// Don't default to the site manager on mobile, as that would mean
+		// seeing something that's not Playground filling your entire screen –
+		// quite a confusing experience.
+		!isMobile,
 };
 
 const uiSlice = createSlice({