diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/index.js b/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/index.js
index e434fa33c4c74b..6be843ea5b4b4c 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/index.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/index.js
@@ -30,12 +30,12 @@ import LinkControlSearchItem from './search-item';
 import LinkControlSearchInput from './search-input';
 
 const MODE_EDIT = 'edit';
-// const MODE_SHOW = 'show';
 
 export function LinkControl( {
 	value,
 	settings,
 	onChange = noop,
+	showInitialSuggestions,
 	fetchSearchSuggestions,
 } ) {
 	const instanceId = useInstanceId( LinkControl );
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ export function LinkControl( {
 
 		// Populate input searcher whether
 		// the current link has a title.
-		if ( value && value.title && mode === 'edit' ) {
+		if ( value && value.title && MODE_EDIT === mode ) {
 			setInputValue( value.title );
 		}
 	};
@@ -102,9 +102,11 @@ export function LinkControl( {
 		);
 	};
 
-	const handleEntitySearch = async ( val ) => {
+	const handleEntitySearch = async ( val, args ) => {
 		const results = await Promise.all( [
-			fetchSearchSuggestions( val ),
+			fetchSearchSuggestions( val, {
+				...( args.isInitialSuggestions ? { perPage: 3 } : {} ),
+			} ),
 			handleDirectEntry( val ),
 		] );
 
@@ -113,11 +115,11 @@ export function LinkControl( {
 		// If it's potentially a URL search then concat on a URL search suggestion
 		// just for good measure. That way once the actual results run out we always
 		// have a URL option to fallback on.
-		return couldBeURL ? results[ 0 ].concat( results[ 1 ] ) : results[ 0 ];
+		return couldBeURL && ! args.isInitialSuggestions ? results[ 0 ].concat( results[ 1 ] ) : results[ 0 ];
 	};
 
 	// Effects
-	const getSearchHandler = useCallback( ( val ) => {
+	const getSearchHandler = useCallback( ( val, args ) => {
 		const protocol = getProtocol( val ) || '';
 		const isMailto = protocol.includes( 'mailto' );
 		const isInternal = startsWith( val, '#' );
@@ -125,7 +127,7 @@ export function LinkControl( {
 
 		const handleManualEntry = isInternal || isMailto || isTel || isURL( val ) || ( val && val.includes( 'www.' ) );
 
-		return ( handleManualEntry ) ? handleDirectEntry( val ) : handleEntitySearch( val );
+		return ( handleManualEntry ) ? handleDirectEntry( val, args ) : handleEntitySearch( val, args );
 	}, [ handleDirectEntry, fetchSearchSuggestions ] );
 
 	// Render Components
@@ -200,6 +202,7 @@ export function LinkControl( {
 					renderSuggestions={ renderSearchResults }
 					fetchSuggestions={ getSearchHandler }
 					onReset={ resetInput }
+					showInitialSuggestions={ showInitialSuggestions }
 				/>
 			) }
 
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/search-input.js b/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/search-input.js
index 9360ef00801378..0d72bc0444fad3 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/search-input.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/search-input.js
@@ -27,7 +27,13 @@ const handleLinkControlOnKeyDown = ( event ) => {
 };
 
 const handleLinkControlOnKeyPress = ( event ) => {
+	const { keyCode } = event;
+
 	event.stopPropagation();
+
+	if ( keyCode === ENTER ) {
+
+	}
 };
 
 const LinkControlSearchInput = ( {
@@ -37,6 +43,7 @@ const LinkControlSearchInput = ( {
 	renderSuggestions,
 	fetchSuggestions,
 	onReset,
+	showInitialSuggestions,
 } ) => {
 	const selectItemHandler = ( selection, suggestion ) => {
 		onChange( selection );
@@ -68,6 +75,7 @@ const LinkControlSearchInput = ( {
 				__experimentalRenderSuggestions={ renderSuggestions }
 				__experimentalFetchLinkSuggestions={ fetchSuggestions }
 				__experimentalHandleURLSuggestions={ true }
+				__experimentalShowInitialSuggestions={ showInitialSuggestions }
 			/>
 
 			<Button
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/test/fixtures/index.js b/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/test/fixtures/index.js
index fc974749c982b1..9c926a8f629cbe 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/test/fixtures/index.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/test/fixtures/index.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /**
  * External dependencies
  */
-import { uniqueId } from 'lodash';
+import { uniqueId, take } from 'lodash';
 
 export const fauxEntitySuggestions = [
 	{
@@ -34,8 +34,11 @@ export const fauxEntitySuggestions = [
 	},
 ];
 
-// export const fetchFauxEntitySuggestions = async () => fauxEntitySuggestions;
-
-export const fetchFauxEntitySuggestions = () => {
-	return Promise.resolve( fauxEntitySuggestions );
+/* eslint-disable no-unused-vars */
+export const fetchFauxEntitySuggestions = ( val = '', {
+	perPage = null,
+} = {} ) => {
+	const suggestions = perPage ? take( fauxEntitySuggestions, perPage ) : fauxEntitySuggestions;
+	return Promise.resolve( suggestions );
 };
+/* eslint-enable no-unused-vars */
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/test/index.js b/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/test/index.js
index 9b51123f3857f8..d0f174c25b4c2e 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/test/index.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/components/link-control/test/index.js
@@ -309,6 +309,103 @@ describe( 'Manual link entry', () => {
 	} );
 } );
 
+describe( 'Default search suggestions', () => {
+	it( 'should display a list of initial search suggestions when there is no search value or suggestions', async () => {
+		const searchSuggestionsSpy = jest.fn( fetchFauxEntitySuggestions );
+		const expectedResultsLength = 3; // set within `LinkControl`
+
+		act( () => {
+			render(
+				<LinkControl
+					fetchSearchSuggestions={ searchSuggestionsSpy }
+					showInitialSuggestions={ true }
+				/>, container
+			);
+		} );
+
+		await eventLoopTick();
+
+		// Search Input UI
+		const searchInput = container.querySelector( 'input[aria-label="URL"]' );
+
+		// TODO: select these by aria relationship to autocomplete rather than arbitary selector.
+		const initialSearchResultElements = container.querySelectorAll( '[role="listbox"] [role="option"]' );
+
+		// Verify input has no value has default suggestions should only show
+		// when this does not have a value
+		expect( searchInput.value ).toBe( '' );
+
+		// Ensure only called once as a guard against potential infinite
+		// re-render loop within `componentDidUpdate` calling `updateSuggestions`
+		// which has calls to `setState` within it.
+		expect( searchSuggestionsSpy ).toHaveBeenCalledTimes( 1 );
+
+		// Verify the search results already display the initial suggestions
+		expect( initialSearchResultElements ).toHaveLength( expectedResultsLength );
+	} );
+
+	it( 'should not display initial suggestions when input value is present', async () => {
+		const searchSuggestionsSpy = jest.fn( fetchFauxEntitySuggestions );
+		let searchResultElements;
+		//
+		// Render with an initial value an ensure that no initial suggestions
+		// are shown.
+		//
+		act( () => {
+			render(
+				<LinkControl
+					fetchSearchSuggestions={ searchSuggestionsSpy }
+					showInitialSuggestions={ true }
+					value={ fauxEntitySuggestions[ 0 ] }
+				/>, container
+			);
+		} );
+
+		await eventLoopTick();
+
+		expect( searchSuggestionsSpy ).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+		//
+		// Click the "Edit/Change" button and check initial suggestions are not
+		// shown.
+		//
+		const currentLinkUI = container.querySelector( '.block-editor-link-control__search-item.is-current' );
+		const currentLinkBtn = currentLinkUI.querySelector( 'button' );
+
+		act( () => {
+			Simulate.click( currentLinkBtn );
+		} );
+
+		await eventLoopTick();
+
+		searchResultElements = container.querySelectorAll( '[role="listbox"] [role="option"]' );
+
+		expect( searchResultElements ).toHaveLength( 0 );
+
+		expect( searchSuggestionsSpy ).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+		//
+		// Reset the search to empty and check the initial suggestions are now shown.
+		//
+		const resetUI = container.querySelector( '[aria-label="Reset"]' );
+
+		act( () => {
+			Simulate.click( resetUI );
+		} );
+
+		await eventLoopTick();
+
+		searchResultElements = container.querySelectorAll( '[role="listbox"] [role="option"]' );
+
+		expect( searchResultElements ).toHaveLength( 3 );
+
+		// Ensure only called once as a guard against potential infinite
+		// re-render loop within `componentDidUpdate` calling `updateSuggestions`
+		// which has calls to `setState` within it.
+		expect( searchSuggestionsSpy ).toHaveBeenCalledTimes( 1 );
+	} );
+} );
+
 describe( 'Selecting links', () => {
 	it( 'should display a selected link corresponding to the provided "currentLink" prop', () => {
 		const selectedLink = first( fauxEntitySuggestions );
@@ -556,8 +653,6 @@ describe( 'Addition Settings UI', () => {
 			);
 		} );
 
-		// console.log( container.innerHTML );
-
 		const newTabSettingLabel = Array.from( container.querySelectorAll( 'label' ) ).find( ( label ) => label.innerHTML && label.innerHTML.includes( expectedSettingText ) );
 		expect( newTabSettingLabel ).not.toBeUndefined(); // find() returns "undefined" if not found
 
diff --git a/packages/block-editor/src/components/url-input/index.js b/packages/block-editor/src/components/url-input/index.js
index 9f2e6fd1a7dc8d..34f934a9cd2fdb 100644
--- a/packages/block-editor/src/components/url-input/index.js
+++ b/packages/block-editor/src/components/url-input/index.js
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ class URLInput extends Component {
 
 		this.suggestionNodes = [];
 
+		this.isUpdatingSuggestions = false;
+
 		this.state = {
 			suggestions: [],
 			showSuggestions: false,
@@ -45,6 +47,7 @@ class URLInput extends Component {
 
 	componentDidUpdate() {
 		const { showSuggestions, selectedSuggestion } = this.state;
+
 		// only have to worry about scrolling selected suggestion into view
 		// when already expanded
 		if ( showSuggestions && selectedSuggestion !== null && ! this.scrollingIntoView ) {
@@ -58,6 +61,16 @@ class URLInput extends Component {
 				this.scrollingIntoView = false;
 			}, 100 );
 		}
+
+		if ( this.shouldShowInitialSuggestions() ) {
+			this.updateSuggestions();
+		}
+	}
+
+	componentDidMount() {
+		if ( this.shouldShowInitialSuggestions() ) {
+			this.updateSuggestions();
+		}
 	}
 
 	componentWillUnmount() {
@@ -70,18 +83,29 @@ class URLInput extends Component {
 		};
 	}
 
-	updateSuggestions( value ) {
+	shouldShowInitialSuggestions() {
+		const { suggestions } = this.state;
+		const { __experimentalShowInitialSuggestions = false, value } = this.props;
+		return ! this.isUpdatingSuggestions && __experimentalShowInitialSuggestions && ! ( value && value.length ) && ! ( suggestions && suggestions.length );
+	}
+
+	updateSuggestions( value = '' ) {
 		const {
 			__experimentalFetchLinkSuggestions: fetchLinkSuggestions,
 			__experimentalHandleURLSuggestions: handleURLSuggestions,
 		} = this.props;
+
 		if ( ! fetchLinkSuggestions ) {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		// Show the suggestions after typing at least 2 characters
-		// and also for URLs
-		if ( value.length < 2 || ( ! handleURLSuggestions && isURL( value ) ) ) {
+		const isInitialSuggestions = ! ( value && value.length );
+
+		// Allow a suggestions request if:
+		// - there are at least 2 characters in the search input (except manual searches where
+		//   search input length is not required to trigger a fetch)
+		// - this is a direct entry (eg: a URL)
+		if ( ! isInitialSuggestions && ( value.length < 2 || ( ! handleURLSuggestions && isURL( value ) ) ) ) {
 			this.setState( {
 				showSuggestions: false,
 				selectedSuggestion: null,
@@ -91,13 +115,17 @@ class URLInput extends Component {
 			return;
 		}
 
+		this.isUpdatingSuggestions = true;
+
 		this.setState( {
 			showSuggestions: true,
 			selectedSuggestion: null,
 			loading: true,
 		} );
 
-		const request = fetchLinkSuggestions( value );
+		const request = fetchLinkSuggestions( value, {
+			isInitialSuggestions,
+		} );
 
 		request.then( ( suggestions ) => {
 			// A fetch Promise doesn't have an abort option. It's mimicked by
@@ -121,19 +149,24 @@ class URLInput extends Component {
 			} else {
 				this.props.debouncedSpeak( __( 'No results.' ), 'assertive' );
 			}
+			this.isUpdatingSuggestions = false;
 		} ).catch( () => {
 			if ( this.suggestionsRequest === request ) {
 				this.setState( {
 					loading: false,
 				} );
+				this.isUpdatingSuggestions = false;
 			}
 		} );
 
+		// Note that this assignment is handled *before* the async search request
+		// as a Promise always resolves on the next tick of the event loop.
 		this.suggestionsRequest = request;
 	}
 
 	onChange( event ) {
 		const inputValue = event.target.value;
+
 		this.props.onChange( inputValue );
 		if ( ! this.props.disableSuggestions ) {
 			this.updateSuggestions( inputValue );
@@ -146,8 +179,7 @@ class URLInput extends Component {
 		// If the suggestions are not shown or loading, we shouldn't handle the arrow keys
 		// We shouldn't preventDefault to allow block arrow keys navigation
 		if (
-			( ! showSuggestions || ! suggestions.length || loading ) &&
-			this.props.value
+			( ! showSuggestions || ! suggestions.length || loading )
 		) {
 			// In the Windows version of Firefox the up and down arrows don't move the caret
 			// within an input field like they do for Mac Firefox/Chrome/Safari. This causes
@@ -237,12 +269,12 @@ class URLInput extends Component {
 		this.inputRef.current.focus();
 	}
 
-	static getDerivedStateFromProps( { value, disableSuggestions }, { showSuggestions, selectedSuggestion } ) {
+	static getDerivedStateFromProps( { value, disableSuggestions, __experimentalShowInitialSuggestions = false }, { showSuggestions } ) {
 		let shouldShowSuggestions = showSuggestions;
 
 		const hasValue = value && value.length;
 
-		if ( ! hasValue ) {
+		if ( ! __experimentalShowInitialSuggestions && ! hasValue ) {
 			shouldShowSuggestions = false;
 		}
 
@@ -251,7 +283,6 @@ class URLInput extends Component {
 		}
 
 		return {
-			selectedSuggestion: hasValue ? selectedSuggestion : null,
 			showSuggestions: shouldShowSuggestions,
 		};
 	}
@@ -275,6 +306,7 @@ class URLInput extends Component {
 			selectedSuggestion,
 			loading,
 		} = this.state;
+
 		const id = `url-input-control-${ instanceId }`;
 
 		const suggestionsListboxId = `block-editor-url-input-suggestions-${ instanceId }`;
diff --git a/packages/block-library/src/navigation-link/edit.js b/packages/block-library/src/navigation-link/edit.js
index 9203239b55af60..be73cd8d966fce 100644
--- a/packages/block-library/src/navigation-link/edit.js
+++ b/packages/block-library/src/navigation-link/edit.js
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ function NavigationLinkEdit( {
 							<LinkControl
 								className="wp-block-navigation-link__inline-link-input"
 								value={ link }
+								initialSuggestions={ true }
 								onChange={ ( {
 									title: newTitle = '',
 									url: newURL = '',
@@ -201,6 +202,7 @@ export default compose( [
 		return {
 			isParentOfSelectedBlock: hasSelectedInnerBlock( clientId, true ),
 			hasDescendants: !! getClientIdsOfDescendants( [ clientId ] ).length,
+
 		};
 	} ),
 	withDispatch( ( dispatch, ownProps, registry ) => {
diff --git a/packages/e2e-tests/config/setup-test-framework.js b/packages/e2e-tests/config/setup-test-framework.js
index 329f316e310cb8..ee4bbf1ea41881 100644
--- a/packages/e2e-tests/config/setup-test-framework.js
+++ b/packages/e2e-tests/config/setup-test-framework.js
@@ -163,6 +163,14 @@ function observeConsoleLogging() {
 			return;
 		}
 
+		// As of WordPress 5.3.2 in Chrome 79, navigating to the block editor
+		// (Posts > Add New) will display a console warning about
+		// non - unique IDs.
+		// See: https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/23165
+		if ( text.includes( 'elements with non-unique id #_wpnonce' ) ) {
+			return;
+		}
+
 		const logFunction = OBSERVED_CONSOLE_MESSAGE_TYPES[ type ];
 
 		// As of Puppeteer 1.6.1, `message.text()` wrongly returns an object of
diff --git a/packages/e2e-tests/specs/editor/blocks/buttons.test.js b/packages/e2e-tests/specs/editor/blocks/buttons.test.js
index 2917e89b2c26da..f0bba197cc9117 100644
--- a/packages/e2e-tests/specs/editor/blocks/buttons.test.js
+++ b/packages/e2e-tests/specs/editor/blocks/buttons.test.js
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ describe( 'Buttons', () => {
 		await insertBlock( 'Buttons' );
 		await page.keyboard.type( 'WordPress' );
 		await pressKeyWithModifier( 'primary', 'k' );
-		await page.keyboard.type( 'https://wwww.wordpress.org/' );
+		await page.keyboard.type( 'https://www.wordpress.org/' );
 		await page.keyboard.press( 'Enter' );
 
 		expect( await getEditedPostContent() ).toMatchSnapshot();
diff --git a/packages/e2e-tests/specs/editor/blocks/navigation.test.js b/packages/e2e-tests/specs/editor/blocks/navigation.test.js
index bf9efc81bdf0ec..ffd77d44b87921 100644
--- a/packages/e2e-tests/specs/editor/blocks/navigation.test.js
+++ b/packages/e2e-tests/specs/editor/blocks/navigation.test.js
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ async function mockSearchResponse( items ) {
 
 	await setUpResponseMocking( [
 		{
-			match: ( request ) => request.url().includes( `rest_route=${ encodeURIComponent( '/wp/v2/search' ) }` ),
+			match: ( request ) => request.url().includes( `rest_route` ) && request.url().includes( `search` ),
 			onRequestMatch: createJSONResponse( mappedItems ),
 		},
 	] );
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@ describe( 'Navigation', () => {
 		await createNewPost();
 	} );
 
+	afterEach( async () => {
+		await setUpResponseMocking( [] );
+	} );
+
 	it( 'allows a navigation menu to be created using existing pages', async () => {
 		// Mock the response from the Pages endpoint. This is done so that the pages returned are always
 		// consistent and to test the feature more rigorously than the single default sample page.
diff --git a/packages/editor/src/components/provider/index.js b/packages/editor/src/components/provider/index.js
index 13bf0f09c2bf9c..521fde4409e6d1 100644
--- a/packages/editor/src/components/provider/index.js
+++ b/packages/editor/src/components/provider/index.js
@@ -25,11 +25,13 @@ import { mediaUpload } from '../../utils';
 import ReusableBlocksButtons from '../reusable-blocks-buttons';
 import ConvertToGroupButtons from '../convert-to-group-buttons';
 
-const fetchLinkSuggestions = async ( search ) => {
+const fetchLinkSuggestions = async ( search, {
+	perPage = 20,
+} = {} ) => {
 	const posts = await apiFetch( {
 		path: addQueryArgs( '/wp/v2/search', {
 			search,
-			per_page: 20,
+			per_page: perPage,
 			type: 'post',
 		} ),
 	} );