diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/api-panels.gjs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/api-panels.gjs
index 61562707abb..8f1059002e7 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/api-panels.gjs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/api-panels.gjs
@@ -11,7 +11,11 @@ export default class SidebarApiPanels extends Component {
 
   <template>
     <div class="sidebar-sections {{this.panelCssClass}}">
-      <ApiSections @collapsable={{@collapsableSections}} />
+      <ApiSections
+        @collapsable={{@collapsableSections}}
+        @expandActiveSection={{this.sidebarState.currentPanel.expandActiveSection}}
+        @scrollActiveLinkIntoView={{this.sidebarState.currentPanel.scrollActiveLinkIntoView}}
+      />
     </div>
   </template>
 }
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/api-section.gjs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/api-section.gjs
index 3cc7fa9a059..2b5d117cd5d 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/api-section.gjs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/api-section.gjs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { and, eq } from "truth-helpers";
 import Section from "./section";
 import SectionLink from "./section-link";
 
@@ -14,6 +15,9 @@ const SidebarApiSection = <template>
       @displaySection={{@section.displaySection}}
       @hideSectionHeader={{@section.hideSectionHeader}}
       @collapsedByDefault={{@section.collapsedByDefault}}
+      @activeLink={{@section.activeLink}}
+      @expandWhenActive={{@expandWhenActive}}
+      @scrollActiveLinkIntoView={{@scrollActiveLinkIntoView}}
     >
       {{#each @section.filteredLinks key="name" as |link|}}
         <SectionLink
@@ -23,6 +27,7 @@ const SidebarApiSection = <template>
           @model={{link.model}}
           @query={{link.query}}
           @models={{link.models}}
+          @currentWhen={{link.currentWhen}}
           @href={{link.href}}
           @title={{link.title}}
           @contentCSSClass={{link.contentCSSClass}}
@@ -38,7 +43,6 @@ const SidebarApiSection = <template>
           @hoverValue={{link.hoverValue}}
           @hoverAction={{link.hoverAction}}
           @hoverTitle={{link.hoverTitle}}
-          @currentWhen={{link.currentWhen}}
           @didInsert={{link.didInsert}}
           @willDestroy={{link.willDestroy}}
           @content={{link.text}}
@@ -46,6 +50,10 @@ const SidebarApiSection = <template>
             link.contentComponent
             status=link.contentComponentArgs
           }}
+          @scrollIntoView={{and
+            @scrollActiveLinkIntoView
+            (eq link.name @section.activeLink.name)
+          }}
         />
       {{/each}}
     </Section>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/api-sections.gjs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/api-sections.gjs
index 58fe7861537..510ce67a490 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/api-sections.gjs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/api-sections.gjs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import ApiSection from "./api-section";
 import PanelHeader from "./panel-header";
 
 export default class SidebarApiSections extends Component {
+  @service router;
   @service sidebarState;
 
   get sections() {
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ export default class SidebarApiSections extends Component {
     }
 
     return sectionConfigs.map((Section) => {
-      const SidebarSection = prepareSidebarSectionClass(Section);
+      const SidebarSection = prepareSidebarSectionClass(Section, this.router);
 
       const sectionInstance = new SidebarSection({
         filterable:
@@ -43,14 +44,19 @@ export default class SidebarApiSections extends Component {
     <PanelHeader @sections={{this.filteredSections}} />
 
     {{#each this.filteredSections as |section|}}
-      <ApiSection @section={{section}} @collapsable={{@collapsable}} />
+      <ApiSection
+        @section={{section}}
+        @collapsable={{@collapsable}}
+        @expandWhenActive={{@expandActiveSection}}
+        @scrollActiveLinkIntoView={{@scrollActiveLinkIntoView}}
+      />
     {{/each}}
   </template>
 }
 
 // extends the class provided for the section to add functionality we don't want to be overridable when defining custom
 // sections using the plugin API, like for example the filtering capabilities
-function prepareSidebarSectionClass(Section) {
+function prepareSidebarSectionClass(Section, routerService) {
   return class extends Section {
     constructor({ filterable, sidebarState }) {
       super();
@@ -82,6 +88,46 @@ function prepareSidebarSectionClass(Section) {
       });
     }
 
+    get activeLink() {
+      return this.filteredLinks.find((link) => {
+        try {
+          const currentWhen = link.currentWhen;
+
+          if (typeof currentWhen === "boolean") {
+            return currentWhen;
+          }
+
+          // TODO detect active links using the href field
+
+          const queryParams = link.query || {};
+          let models;
+
+          if (link.model) {
+            models = [link.model];
+          } else if (link.models) {
+            models = link.models;
+          } else {
+            models = [];
+          }
+
+          if (typeof currentWhen === "string") {
+            return currentWhen.split(" ").some((route) =>
+              routerService.isActive(route, ...models, {
+                queryParams,
+              })
+            );
+          }
+
+          return routerService.isActive(link.route, ...models, {
+            queryParams,
+          });
+        } catch (e) {
+          // false if ember throws an exception while checking the routes
+          return false;
+        }
+      });
+    }
+
     get filtered() {
       return !this.filterable || this.filteredLinks?.length > 0;
     }
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/section-link.gjs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/section-link.gjs
index 74901b3df30..6b748fe2350 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/section-link.gjs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/section-link.gjs
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 import Component from "@glimmer/component";
 import { hash } from "@ember/helper";
 import { on } from "@ember/modifier";
+import didInsert from "@ember/render-modifiers/modifiers/did-insert";
+import didUpdate from "@ember/render-modifiers/modifiers/did-update";
 import { LinkTo } from "@ember/routing";
+import { schedule } from "@ember/runloop";
 import { service } from "@ember/service";
 import { eq, or } from "truth-helpers";
 import concatClass from "discourse/helpers/concat-class";
 import icon from "discourse-common/helpers/d-icon";
 import deprecated from "discourse-common/lib/deprecated";
+import { bind } from "discourse-common/utils/decorators";
 import SectionLinkPrefix from "./section-link-prefix";
 
 /**
@@ -61,6 +65,14 @@ export default class SectionLink extends Component {
       classNames.push(this.args.class);
     }
 
+    if (
+      this.args.href &&
+      typeof this.args.currentWhen === "boolean" &&
+      this.args.currentWhen
+    ) {
+      classNames.push("active");
+    }
+
     return classNames.join(" ");
   }
 
@@ -101,9 +113,22 @@ export default class SectionLink extends Component {
     }
   }
 
+  @bind
+  maybeScrollIntoView(element) {
+    if (this.args.scrollIntoView) {
+      schedule("afterRender", () => {
+        element.scrollIntoView({
+          block: "center",
+        });
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
   <template>
     {{#if this.shouldDisplay}}
       <li
+        {{didInsert this.maybeScrollIntoView}}
+        {{didUpdate this.maybeScrollIntoView @scrollIntoView}}
         data-list-item-name={{@linkName}}
         class="sidebar-section-link-wrapper"
         ...attributes
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/section.gjs b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/section.gjs
index 15892149644..6dc98df97fa 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/section.gjs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/components/sidebar/section.gjs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import SectionHeader from "./section-header";
 
 export default class SidebarSection extends Component {
   @service keyValueStore;
+  @service router;
   @service sidebarState;
 
   sidebarSectionContentId = getSidebarSectionContentId(this.args.sectionName);
@@ -26,8 +27,17 @@ export default class SidebarSection extends Component {
     this.args.sectionName
   );
 
+  constructor() {
+    super(...arguments);
+
+    this.router.on("routeDidChange", this, this.expandIfActive);
+  }
+
   willDestroy() {
     super.willDestroy(...arguments);
+
+    this.router.off("routeDidChange", this, this.expandIfActive);
+
     this.args.willDestroy?.();
   }
 
@@ -47,17 +57,46 @@ export default class SidebarSection extends Component {
     );
   }
 
+  get isActive() {
+    return !!this.args.activeLink;
+  }
+
+  get activeExpanded() {
+    return this.sidebarState.activeExpandedSections.has(this.args.sectionName);
+  }
+
+  set activeExpanded(value) {
+    if (value) {
+      this.sidebarState.activeExpandedSections.add(this.args.sectionName);
+    } else {
+      this.sidebarState.activeExpandedSections.delete(this.args.sectionName);
+    }
+  }
+
   @bind
   setExpandedState() {
     if (!isEmpty(this.sidebarState.filter)) {
       return;
     }
 
+    // initialize the collapsed/expanded state of the section
     if (this.isCollapsed) {
       this.sidebarState.collapseSection(this.args.sectionName);
     } else {
       this.sidebarState.expandSection(this.args.sectionName);
     }
+
+    // override the expanded state if the section is active
+    this.expandIfActive();
+  }
+
+  @bind
+  expandIfActive(transition) {
+    if (transition?.isAborted) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    this.activeExpanded = this.args.expandWhenActive && this.isActive;
   }
 
   get displaySectionContent() {
@@ -65,6 +104,10 @@ export default class SidebarSection extends Component {
       return true;
     }
 
+    if (this.activeExpanded) {
+      return true;
+    }
+
     return !this.sidebarState.collapsedSections.has(
       this.collapsedSidebarSectionKey
     );
@@ -72,6 +115,8 @@ export default class SidebarSection extends Component {
 
   @action
   toggleSectionDisplay(_, event) {
+    this.activeExpanded = false;
+
     if (this.displaySectionContent) {
       this.sidebarState.collapseSection(this.args.sectionName);
     } else {
@@ -134,6 +179,7 @@ export default class SidebarSection extends Component {
               @sidebarSectionContentId={{this.sidebarSectionContentId}}
               @toggleSectionDisplay={{this.toggleSectionDisplay}}
               @isExpanded={{this.displaySectionContent}}
+              @isActive={{this.isActive}}
             >
               {{#if @collapsable}}
                 <span class="sidebar-section-header-caret">
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/admin-sidebar.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/admin-sidebar.js
index 483d47a04e2..473f62a1e55 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/admin-sidebar.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/admin-sidebar.js
@@ -81,8 +81,6 @@ class SidebarAdminSectionLink extends BaseCustomSidebarSectionLink {
         return this.router.currentRoute.name;
       }
     }
-
-    return this.adminSidebarNavLink.route;
   }
 
   get keywords() {
@@ -264,6 +262,8 @@ export default class AdminSidebarPanel extends BaseCustomSidebarPanel {
   key = ADMIN_PANEL;
   hidden = true;
   displayHeader = true;
+  expandActiveSection = true;
+  scrollActiveLinkIntoView = true;
 
   @cached
   get sections() {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/base-custom-sidebar-panel.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/base-custom-sidebar-panel.js
index 82cdc0adc5d..1e21b1d7b18 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/base-custom-sidebar-panel.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/base-custom-sidebar-panel.js
@@ -57,6 +57,14 @@ export default class BaseCustomSidebarPanel {
     return false;
   }
 
+  get expandActiveSection() {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  get scrollActiveLinkIntoView() {
+    return false;
+  }
+
   /**
    * @param {string} filter filter applied
    *
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/base-custom-sidebar-section-link.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/base-custom-sidebar-section-link.js
index c693a0ae921..a044eb76236 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/base-custom-sidebar-section-link.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/lib/sidebar/base-custom-sidebar-section-link.js
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ export default class BaseCustomSidebarSectionLink {
    */
   get models() {}
 
+  /**
+   * @returns {boolean} `query` argument for the <LinkTo> component. See See https://api.emberjs.com/ember/release/classes/Ember.Templates.components/methods/LinkTo?anchor=LinkTo.
+   */
+  get query() {}
+
   /**
    * @returns {boolean} `current-when` argument for the <LinkTo> component. See See https://api.emberjs.com/ember/release/classes/Ember.Templates.components/methods/LinkTo?anchor=LinkTo.
    */
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/services/sidebar-state.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/services/sidebar-state.js
index 7271839506b..4ff75917dff 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/services/sidebar-state.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/app/services/sidebar-state.js
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ export default class SidebarState extends Service {
   @tracked isForcingAdminSidebar = false;
 
   panels = panels;
+  activeExpandedSections = new TrackedSet();
   collapsedSections = new TrackedSet();
   previousState = {};
   #hiders = new TrackedSet();
@@ -87,6 +88,8 @@ export default class SidebarState extends Service {
       getCollapsedSidebarSectionKey(sectionKey);
     this.keyValueStore.setItem(collapsedSidebarSectionKey, true);
     this.collapsedSections.add(collapsedSidebarSectionKey);
+    // remove the section from the active expanded list if collapsed later
+    this.activeExpandedSections.delete(sectionKey);
   }
 
   expandSection(sectionKey) {
@@ -94,6 +97,8 @@ export default class SidebarState extends Service {
       getCollapsedSidebarSectionKey(sectionKey);
     this.keyValueStore.setItem(collapsedSidebarSectionKey, false);
     this.collapsedSections.delete(collapsedSidebarSectionKey);
+    // remove the section from the active expanded list if expanded later
+    this.activeExpandedSections.delete(sectionKey);
   }
 
   isCurrentPanel(panel) {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/sidebar-plugin-api-test.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/sidebar-plugin-api-test.js
index 3f5c6ce5a96..161af3e3be8 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/sidebar-plugin-api-test.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/tests/acceptance/sidebar-plugin-api-test.js
@@ -1031,4 +1031,193 @@ acceptance("Sidebar - Plugin API", function (needs) {
       .dom(".sidebar-section[data-section-name='test-admin-section']")
       .doesNotExist();
   });
+
+  test("Auto expand active sections", async function (assert) {
+    withPluginApi(PLUGIN_API_VERSION, (api) => {
+      api.addSidebarPanel((BaseCustomSidebarPanel) => {
+        return class extends BaseCustomSidebarPanel {
+          key = "new-panel";
+          expandActiveSection = true;
+        };
+      });
+      api.addSidebarSection(
+        (BaseCustomSidebarSection, BaseCustomSidebarSectionLink) => {
+          return class extends BaseCustomSidebarSection {
+            name = "test-section-1";
+            text = "The First Section";
+            collapsedByDefault = true;
+
+            get links() {
+              return [
+                new (class extends BaseCustomSidebarSectionLink {
+                  get name() {
+                    return `test-link-1`;
+                  }
+
+                  get href() {
+                    return `/test1`;
+                  }
+
+                  get title() {
+                    return `Test Link Title 1`;
+                  }
+
+                  get text() {
+                    return `Test Link Text 1`;
+                  }
+                })(),
+              ];
+            }
+          };
+        },
+        "new-panel"
+      );
+      api.addSidebarSection(
+        (BaseCustomSidebarSection, BaseCustomSidebarSectionLink) => {
+          return class extends BaseCustomSidebarSection {
+            name = "test-section-2";
+            text = "The Second Section";
+            collapsedByDefault = true;
+
+            get links() {
+              return [
+                new (class extends BaseCustomSidebarSectionLink {
+                  get name() {
+                    return `search`;
+                  }
+
+                  get route() {
+                    return `full-page-search`;
+                  }
+
+                  get title() {
+                    return `Search`;
+                  }
+
+                  get text() {
+                    return `Search`;
+                  }
+                })(),
+              ];
+            }
+          };
+        },
+        "new-panel"
+      );
+      api.setSeparatedSidebarMode();
+      api.setSidebarPanel("new-panel");
+    });
+
+    await visit("/");
+    assert.dom(".sidebar-section.sidebar-section--expanded").doesNotExist();
+
+    await visit("/search");
+    assert
+      .dom(
+        "div[data-section-name='test-section-2'].sidebar-section.sidebar-section--expanded"
+      )
+      .exists({ count: 1 });
+  });
+
+  test("Scroll active link into view", async function (assert) {
+    withPluginApi(PLUGIN_API_VERSION, (api) => {
+      api.addSidebarPanel((BaseCustomSidebarPanel) => {
+        return class extends BaseCustomSidebarPanel {
+          key = "new-panel";
+          expandActiveSection = true;
+          scrollActiveLinkIntoView = true;
+        };
+      });
+      api.addSidebarSection(
+        (BaseCustomSidebarSection, BaseCustomSidebarSectionLink) => {
+          return class extends BaseCustomSidebarSection {
+            name = `test-section-1`;
+            text = "The Section";
+            collapsedByDefault = false;
+
+            get links() {
+              const values = [...Array(100)].map(
+                (_, i) =>
+                  new (class extends BaseCustomSidebarSectionLink {
+                    get name() {
+                      return `test-link-${i}`;
+                    }
+
+                    get href() {
+                      return `/test${i}`;
+                    }
+
+                    get title() {
+                      return `Test Link Title ${i}`;
+                    }
+
+                    get text() {
+                      return `Test Link Text ${i}`;
+                    }
+                  })()
+              );
+
+              values.push(
+                new (class extends BaseCustomSidebarSectionLink {
+                  get name() {
+                    return `search`;
+                  }
+
+                  get route() {
+                    return `full-page-search`;
+                  }
+
+                  get title() {
+                    return `Search`;
+                  }
+
+                  get text() {
+                    return `Search`;
+                  }
+                })()
+              );
+
+              return values;
+            }
+          };
+        },
+        "new-panel"
+      );
+      api.setSeparatedSidebarMode();
+      api.setSidebarPanel("new-panel");
+    });
+
+    await visit("/");
+    const sidebarHeight = query(".sidebar-wrapper").clientHeight;
+    const searchLinkOffsetTop = query(
+      ".sidebar-section-link-wrapper[data-list-item-name='search']"
+    ).offsetTop;
+
+    assert.ok(
+      searchLinkOffsetTop > sidebarHeight,
+      "the link offsetTop is greater than the sidebar height"
+    );
+    assert.strictEqual(
+      query(".sidebar-sections").scrollTop,
+      0,
+      "the sidebar is not scrolled initially"
+    );
+
+    await visit("/search");
+    assert
+      .dom(
+        ".sidebar-section-link-wrapper[data-list-item-name='search'] > a.active"
+      )
+      .exists();
+
+    const sidebarScrollTop = query(".sidebar-sections").scrollTop;
+    assert.ok(
+      sidebarScrollTop > 0,
+      "the sidebar was scrolled to position the active element into view"
+    );
+    assert.ok(
+      searchLinkOffsetTop < sidebarScrollTop + sidebarHeight,
+      "the link is into view"
+    );
+  });
 });