diff --git a/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/EditorV2.tsx b/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/EditorV2.tsx
index 37b9e8997..41f4fe518 100644
--- a/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/EditorV2.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/EditorV2.tsx
@@ -97,12 +97,12 @@ const PipelineEditor = withSuspenseWrapper(
     useEditorEscapeShortcut();
     useDebugPanelWindow();
     useTipOfTheDayWindow();
-    useSeedInitialDockLayoutFromPreset(componentSearchV2Enabled);
 
     const aiEnabled = useFlagValue("ai-assistant");
     useAiChatWindow(aiEnabled);
 
     useComponentSearchV2Window(componentSearchV2Enabled);
+    useSeedInitialDockLayoutFromPreset(componentSearchV2Enabled);
 
     const activeSpec = navigation.activeSpec;
 
diff --git a/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/hooks/useAiChatWindow.tsx b/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/hooks/useAiChatWindow.tsx
index 56176a676..2810db3eb 100644
--- a/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/hooks/useAiChatWindow.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/v2/pages/Editor/hooks/useAiChatWindow.tsx
@@ -26,11 +26,13 @@ export function useAiChatWindow(enabled: boolean) {
       />,
       {
         id: AI_CHAT_WINDOW_ID,
-        title: "AI Assistant",
+        title: "Sidekick",
         position: { x: 100, y: 80 },
         size: { width: 380, height: 520 },
         disabledActions: ["close"],
+        startVisible: true,
         persisted: true,
+        defaultDockState: "left",
       },
     );
   }, [enabled, windows, editorSession]);
diff --git a/src/routes/v2/shared/windows/viewPresets.ts b/src/routes/v2/shared/windows/viewPresets.ts
index a5b6ff3ce..48f830658 100644
--- a/src/routes/v2/shared/windows/viewPresets.ts
+++ b/src/routes/v2/shared/windows/viewPresets.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ export interface ViewPreset {
   dockAreas?: PresetDockAreas;
 }
 
+const AI_ASSISTANT_WINDOW_ID = "ai-assistant-chat";
 const COMPONENT_SEARCH_WINDOW_ID = "component-search-v2";
 const COMPONENT_LIBRARY_WINDOW_ID = "component-library";
 
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ export const DEFAULT_DOCK_AREAS: PresetDockAreas = {
     "runs-and-submission",
     COMPONENT_SEARCH_WINDOW_ID,
     COMPONENT_LIBRARY_WINDOW_ID,
+    AI_ASSISTANT_WINDOW_ID,
     "pipeline-tree",
     "history",
     "debug-panel",
@@ -45,12 +47,14 @@ export function dockSideByWindowId(
 
 export const DEFAULT_VIEW_PRESET: ViewPreset = {
   label: "Default",
-  description: "Components, Runs & Submissions, Recent Runs, Pipeline Details",
+  description:
+    "Components, Runs & Submissions, Sidekick, Recent Runs, Pipeline Details",
   visible: new Set([
     "runs-and-submission",
     "recent-runs",
     "component-search-v2",
     "component-library",
+    AI_ASSISTANT_WINDOW_ID,
     "pipeline-details",
     "tip-of-the-day",
   ]),
@@ -62,11 +66,12 @@ export const VIEW_PRESETS: ViewPreset[] = [
   {
     label: "All",
     description:
-      "All windows visible, including Runs & Submissions and Recent Runs",
+      "All windows visible, including Runs & Submissions, Sidekick, and Recent Runs",
     visible: new Set([
       "runs-and-submission",
       COMPONENT_SEARCH_WINDOW_ID,
       COMPONENT_LIBRARY_WINDOW_ID,
+      AI_ASSISTANT_WINDOW_ID,
       "history",
       "pipeline-tree",
       "pipeline-details",
diff --git a/src/routes/v2/shared/windows/windowStore.viewPreset.test.ts b/src/routes/v2/shared/windows/windowStore.viewPreset.test.ts
index 075f6dafe..1b013e2af 100644
--- a/src/routes/v2/shared/windows/windowStore.viewPreset.test.ts
+++ b/src/routes/v2/shared/windows/windowStore.viewPreset.test.ts
@@ -23,10 +23,16 @@ describe("WindowStoreImpl view preset dock layout", () => {
       title: "Runs",
       defaultDockState: "left",
     });
+    store.openWindow(stubContent, {
+      id: "ai-assistant-chat",
+      title: "Sidekick",
+      defaultDockState: "left",
+    });
 
     expect(store.getDockAreaWindowIds("left")).toEqual([
       "component-library",
       "runs-and-submission",
+      "ai-assistant-chat",
     ]);
 
     store.seedInitialDockLayoutFromPreset(DEFAULT_VIEW_PRESET);