diff --git a/src/components/inline_edit/__snapshots__/inline_edit_form.test.tsx.snap b/src/components/inline_edit/__snapshots__/inline_edit_form.test.tsx.snap
index 02c7cae7815..3f2a5a14210 100644
--- a/src/components/inline_edit/__snapshots__/inline_edit_form.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/src/components/inline_edit/__snapshots__/inline_edit_form.test.tsx.snap
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ exports[`EuiInlineEditForm Edit Mode editModeProps.cancelButtonProps 1`] = `
                 class="euiFormControlLayout__childrenWrapper"
               >
                 <input
+                  aria-describedby="inlineEdit_generated-id"
                   aria-label="Edit inline"
                   class="euiFieldText euiFieldText--fullWidth"
                   data-test-subj="euiInlineEditModeInput"
@@ -38,6 +39,12 @@ exports[`EuiInlineEditForm Edit Mode editModeProps.cancelButtonProps 1`] = `
             </div>
           </div>
         </div>
+        <span
+          hidden=""
+          id="inlineEdit_generated-id"
+        >
+          Press Enter to save your edited text. Press Escape to cancel your edit.
+        </span>
       </div>
       <div
         class="euiFlexItem euiInlineEdit testClass1 testClass2 emotion-euiFlexItem-growZero"
@@ -169,6 +176,7 @@ exports[`EuiInlineEditForm Edit Mode editModeProps.formRowProps 1`] = `
                 class="euiFormControlLayout__childrenWrapper"
               >
                 <input
+                  aria-describedby="inlineEdit_generated-id"
                   aria-label="Edit inline"
                   class="euiFieldText euiFieldText--fullWidth"
                   data-test-subj="euiInlineEditModeInput"
@@ -180,6 +188,12 @@ exports[`EuiInlineEditForm Edit Mode editModeProps.formRowProps 1`] = `
             </div>
           </div>
         </div>
+        <span
+          hidden=""
+          id="inlineEdit_generated-id"
+        >
+          Press Enter to save your edited text. Press Escape to cancel your edit.
+        </span>
       </div>
       <div
         class="euiFlexItem euiInlineEdit testClass1 testClass2 emotion-euiFlexItem-growZero"
@@ -315,6 +329,7 @@ exports[`EuiInlineEditForm Edit Mode editModeProps.inputProps 1`] = `
                 class="euiFormControlLayout__childrenWrapper"
               >
                 <input
+                  aria-describedby="inlineEdit_generated-id"
                   aria-label="Edit inline"
                   class="euiFieldText euiFieldText--fullWidth euiFieldText--inGroup"
                   data-test-subj="customInput"
@@ -326,6 +341,12 @@ exports[`EuiInlineEditForm Edit Mode editModeProps.inputProps 1`] = `
             </div>
           </div>
         </div>
+        <span
+          hidden=""
+          id="inlineEdit_generated-id"
+        >
+          Press Enter to save your edited text. Press Escape to cancel your edit.
+        </span>
       </div>
       <div
         class="euiFlexItem euiInlineEdit testClass1 testClass2 emotion-euiFlexItem-growZero"
@@ -455,6 +476,7 @@ exports[`EuiInlineEditForm Edit Mode editModeProps.saveButtonProps 1`] = `
                 class="euiFormControlLayout__childrenWrapper"
               >
                 <input
+                  aria-describedby="inlineEdit_generated-id"
                   aria-label="Edit inline"
                   class="euiFieldText euiFieldText--fullWidth"
                   data-test-subj="euiInlineEditModeInput"
@@ -466,6 +488,12 @@ exports[`EuiInlineEditForm Edit Mode editModeProps.saveButtonProps 1`] = `
             </div>
           </div>
         </div>
+        <span
+          hidden=""
+          id="inlineEdit_generated-id"
+        >
+          Press Enter to save your edited text. Press Escape to cancel your edit.
+        </span>
       </div>
       <div
         class="euiFlexItem euiInlineEdit testClass1 testClass2 emotion-euiFlexItem-growZero"
@@ -595,6 +623,7 @@ exports[`EuiInlineEditForm Edit Mode isInvalid 1`] = `
                 class="euiFormControlLayout__childrenWrapper"
               >
                 <input
+                  aria-describedby="inlineEdit_generated-id"
                   aria-invalid="true"
                   aria-label="Edit inline"
                   class="euiFieldText euiFormControlLayout--1icons euiFieldText--fullWidth"
@@ -615,6 +644,12 @@ exports[`EuiInlineEditForm Edit Mode isInvalid 1`] = `
             </div>
           </div>
         </div>
+        <span
+          hidden=""
+          id="inlineEdit_generated-id"
+        >
+          Press Enter to save your edited text. Press Escape to cancel your edit.
+        </span>
       </div>
       <div
         class="euiFlexItem euiInlineEdit testClass1 testClass2 emotion-euiFlexItem-growZero"
@@ -744,6 +779,7 @@ exports[`EuiInlineEditForm Edit Mode isLoading 1`] = `
                 class="euiFormControlLayout__childrenWrapper"
               >
                 <input
+                  aria-describedby="inlineEdit_generated-id"
                   aria-label="Edit inline"
                   class="euiFieldText euiFormControlLayout--1icons euiFieldText--fullWidth euiFieldText-isLoading"
                   data-test-subj="euiInlineEditModeInput"
@@ -764,6 +800,12 @@ exports[`EuiInlineEditForm Edit Mode isLoading 1`] = `
             </div>
           </div>
         </div>
+        <span
+          hidden=""
+          id="inlineEdit_generated-id"
+        >
+          Press Enter to save your edited text. Press Escape to cancel your edit.
+        </span>
       </div>
       <div
         class="euiFlexItem euiInlineEdit testClass1 testClass2 emotion-euiFlexItem-growZero"
@@ -847,6 +889,7 @@ exports[`EuiInlineEditForm Edit Mode renders 1`] = `
                 class="euiFormControlLayout__childrenWrapper"
               >
                 <input
+                  aria-describedby="inlineEdit_generated-id"
                   aria-label="Edit inline"
                   class="euiFieldText euiFieldText--fullWidth"
                   data-test-subj="euiInlineEditModeInput"
@@ -858,6 +901,12 @@ exports[`EuiInlineEditForm Edit Mode renders 1`] = `
             </div>
           </div>
         </div>
+        <span
+          hidden=""
+          id="inlineEdit_generated-id"
+        >
+          Press Enter to save your edited text. Press Escape to cancel your edit.
+        </span>
       </div>
       <div
         class="euiFlexItem euiInlineEdit testClass1 testClass2 emotion-euiFlexItem-growZero"
diff --git a/src/components/inline_edit/inline_edit_form.test.tsx b/src/components/inline_edit/inline_edit_form.test.tsx
index a35f94b8d38..98a46cb935a 100644
--- a/src/components/inline_edit/inline_edit_form.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/inline_edit/inline_edit_form.test.tsx
@@ -333,5 +333,69 @@ describe('EuiInlineEditForm', () => {
         });
       });
     });
+
+    describe('keyboard events', () => {
+      test('pressing the Enter key saves text and returns to readMode', () => {
+        const { getByTestSubject, getByText } = render(
+          <EuiInlineEditForm
+            {...commonInlineEditFormProps}
+            startWithEditOpen={true}
+          />
+        );
+
+        fireEvent.change(getByTestSubject('euiInlineEditModeInput'), {
+          target: { value: 'New message!' },
+        });
+        fireEvent.keyDown(getByTestSubject('euiInlineEditModeInput'), {
+          key: 'Enter',
+        });
+
+        expect(getByTestSubject('euiInlineReadModeButton')).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(getByText('New message!')).toBeTruthy();
+      });
+
+      test('pressing the Escape key cancels text changes and returns to readMode', () => {
+        const { getByTestSubject, getByText } = render(
+          <EuiInlineEditForm
+            {...commonInlineEditFormProps}
+            startWithEditOpen={true}
+          />
+        );
+
+        fireEvent.change(getByTestSubject('euiInlineEditModeInput'), {
+          target: { value: 'New message!' },
+        });
+        fireEvent.keyDown(getByTestSubject('euiInlineEditModeInput'), {
+          key: 'Escape',
+        });
+
+        expect(getByTestSubject('euiInlineReadModeButton')).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(getByText('Hello World!')).toBeTruthy();
+      });
+
+      it('calls passed `inputModeProps.onKeyDown` callbacks', () => {
+        const onKeyDown = jest.fn();
+
+        const { getByTestSubject, getByText } = render(
+          <EuiInlineEditForm
+            {...commonInlineEditFormProps}
+            startWithEditOpen={true}
+            editModeProps={{ inputProps: { onKeyDown } }}
+          />
+        );
+
+        fireEvent.change(getByTestSubject('euiInlineEditModeInput'), {
+          target: { value: 'New message!' },
+        });
+        fireEvent.keyDown(getByTestSubject('euiInlineEditModeInput'), {
+          key: 'Enter',
+        });
+
+        // Both EUI and consumer `onKeyDown` events should have run
+        expect(onKeyDown).toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(getByTestSubject('euiInlineReadModeButton')).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(getByText('New message!')).toBeTruthy();
+      });
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/components/inline_edit/inline_edit_form.tsx b/src/components/inline_edit/inline_edit_form.tsx
index 4bc3a88d007..7ac900295c6 100644
--- a/src/components/inline_edit/inline_edit_form.tsx
+++ b/src/components/inline_edit/inline_edit_form.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import React, {
   useState,
   HTMLAttributes,
   MouseEvent,
+  KeyboardEvent,
 } from 'react';
 import classNames from 'classnames';
 
@@ -29,8 +30,8 @@ import { EuiButtonIconPropsForButton } from '../button/button_icon';
 import { EuiButtonEmptyPropsForButton } from '../button/button_empty/button_empty';
 import { EuiFlexGroup, EuiFlexItem } from '../flex';
 import { EuiSkeletonRectangle } from '../skeleton';
-import { useEuiTheme } from '../../services';
-import { useEuiI18n } from '../i18n';
+import { useEuiTheme, keys } from '../../services';
+import { EuiI18n, useEuiI18n } from '../i18n';
 import { useGeneratedHtmlId } from '../../services/accessibility';
 
 // Props shared between the internal form component as well as consumer-facing components
@@ -139,6 +140,8 @@ export const EuiInlineEditForm: FunctionComponent<EuiInlineEditFormProps> = ({
     'Cancel edit'
   );
 
+  const editModeDescribedById = useGeneratedHtmlId({ prefix: 'inlineEdit' });
+
   const [isEditing, setIsEditing] = useState(false || startWithEditOpen);
   const inlineEditInputId = useGeneratedHtmlId({ prefix: '__inlineEditInput' });
 
@@ -163,6 +166,17 @@ export const EuiInlineEditForm: FunctionComponent<EuiInlineEditFormProps> = ({
     setIsEditing(false);
   };
 
+  const editModeInputOnKeyDown = (event: KeyboardEvent<HTMLElement>) => {
+    switch (event.key) {
+      case keys.ENTER:
+        saveInlineEditValue();
+        break;
+      case keys.ESCAPE:
+        cancelInlineEdit();
+        break;
+    }
+  };
+
   const editModeForm = (
     <EuiForm fullWidth>
       <EuiFlexGroup gutterSize="s">
@@ -185,8 +199,22 @@ export const EuiInlineEditForm: FunctionComponent<EuiInlineEditFormProps> = ({
               isLoading={isLoading}
               data-test-subj="euiInlineEditModeInput"
               {...editModeProps?.inputProps}
+              aria-describedby={classNames(
+                editModeDescribedById,
+                editModeProps?.inputProps?.['aria-describedby']
+              )}
+              onKeyDown={(e: KeyboardEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
+                editModeInputOnKeyDown(e);
+                editModeProps?.inputProps?.onKeyDown?.(e);
+              }}
             />
           </EuiFormRow>
+          <span id={editModeDescribedById} hidden>
+            <EuiI18n
+              token="euiInlineEditForm.inputKeyboardInstructions"
+              default="Press Enter to save your edited text. Press Escape to cancel your edit."
+            />
+          </span>
         </EuiFlexItem>
 
         <EuiFlexItem grow={false} className={classes}>