@@ -198,6 +198,16 @@ describe("SchemaForm validate handle", () => {
     expect(validate(ref)).toBe(false)
   })
 
+  it("focuses the first offending field so a blocked submit is not silent", () => {
+    const ref = createRef<SchemaFormHandle>()
+    render(
+      <SchemaForm ref={ref} openAPISchema={requiredSchema} formData={{}} onChange={noop} />,
+    )
+
+    validate(ref)
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(document.getElementById("root_name"))
+  })
+
   it("reports valid through the ref once the required field is populated", () => {
     const ref = createRef<SchemaFormHandle>()
     render(
 
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import validator from "@rjsf/validator-ajv8"
 import { getDefaultFormState } from "@rjsf/utils"
 import type { RJSFSchema, UiSchema, TemplatesType } from "@rjsf/utils"
 import { keysOrderToUiSchema, sanitizeSchema } from "../lib/keys-order.ts"
+import { focusFirstError } from "../lib/focus-first-error.ts"
 import { addSensitiveStringWidgets } from "../lib/sensitive-fields.ts"
 import {
   IMMUTABLE_HELP_TEXT,
@@ -345,6 +346,7 @@ export const SchemaForm = forwardRef<SchemaFormHandle, SchemaFormProps>(function
         onChange={(e) => onChange(e.formData)}
         liveValidate={false}
         showErrorList={false}
+        focusOnFirstError={focusFirstError}
       >
         {children}
       </Form>
 
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from "vitest"
+import { focusFirstError } from "./focus-first-error.ts"
+
+describe("focusFirstError", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    document.body.innerHTML = ""
+  })
+
+  it("focuses the field carrying the generated id", () => {
+    document.body.innerHTML = `<input id="root_name" />`
+    const field = document.getElementById("root_name")
+
+    focusFirstError({ property: ".name" })
+
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(field)
+  })
+
+  it("resolves a bracketed property path", () => {
+    document.body.innerHTML = `<input id="root_spec_first-name" />`
+    const field = document.getElementById("root_spec_first-name")
+
+    focusFirstError({ property: ".spec['first-name']" })
+
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(field)
+  })
+
+  // SourceField and SourceWidget render no element carrying the generated id,
+  // only radios named `<id>-source`, so the exact lookup misses and a blocked
+  // submit used to scroll nowhere.
+  it("falls back to the name attribute when no element carries the id", () => {
+    document.body.innerHTML = `
+      <div class="field">
+        <input type="radio" name="root_source-source" value="http" />
+        <input type="radio" name="root_source-source" value="pvc" />
+      </div>
+    `
+    const first = document.querySelector<HTMLInputElement>('input[value="http"]')
+
+    focusFirstError({ property: ".source" })
+
+    expect(document.getElementById("root_source")).toBeNull()
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(first)
+  })
+
+  it("does nothing when the field is nowhere in the document", () => {
+    document.body.innerHTML = `<input id="root_other" />`
+
+    expect(() => focusFirstError({ property: ".missing" })).not.toThrow()
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(document.body)
+  })
+})
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import type { RJSFValidationError } from "@rjsf/utils"
+
+/**
+ * Errors render inline with the error list hidden, so a blocked submit is
+ * invisible unless the offending field is brought into view. RJSF's built-in
+ * focus resolves the field through `form.elements`, which the `tagName="div"`
+ * form does not have, so resolve it by generated id instead.
+ *
+ * Not every widget puts that id on an element. `SourceField` and
+ * `SourceWidget` render radios carrying only `name="<id>-source"`, so an exact
+ * lookup finds nothing and the submit scrolls nowhere. Fall back to the first
+ * element whose id or name starts with the generated id.
+ */
+export function focusFirstError(error: Pick<RJSFValidationError, "property">) {
+  const segments = (error.property ?? "")
+    .replace(/\['?([^'\]]+)'?\]/g, ".$1")
+    .split(".")
+    .filter(Boolean)
+  const id = ["root", ...segments].join("_")
+  const escaped = id.replace(/["\\]/g, "\\$&")
+  const field =
+    document.getElementById(id) ??
+    document.querySelector<HTMLElement>(`[id^="${escaped}"], [name^="${escaped}"]`)
+  field?.scrollIntoView?.({ block: "center" })
+  field?.focus?.({ preventScroll: true })
+}