You can do it by creating ref for input element and using it in componentDidMount():
input
componentDidMount()
class App extends React.Component{ componentDidMount() { this.nameInput.focus() } render() { return ( <div> <input defaultValue={'Won\'t focus'} /> <input ref={(input) => this.nameInput = input} defaultValue={'Will focus'} /> </div> ) } } ReactDOM.render(<App />, document.getElementById('app'))