diff --git a/Composer/packages/client/src/components/ProjectTree/TriggerCreationModal.tsx b/Composer/packages/client/src/components/ProjectTree/TriggerCreationModal.tsx
index 4a89404dee..62f596ddc4 100644
--- a/Composer/packages/client/src/components/ProjectTree/TriggerCreationModal.tsx
+++ b/Composer/packages/client/src/components/ProjectTree/TriggerCreationModal.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
   TriggerFormData,
   TriggerFormDataErrors,
   eventTypeKey,
+  intentTypeKey,
 } from '../../utils/dialogUtil';
 import { StoreContext } from '../../store';
 import { DialogInfo } from '../../store/types';
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ interface TriggerCreationModalProps {
 
 const initialFormData: TriggerFormData = {
   errors: {},
-  $type: '',
+  $type: intentTypeKey,
   name: '',
   constraint: '',
   eventType: '',
@@ -121,6 +122,7 @@ export const TriggerCreationModal: React.FC<TriggerCreationModalProps> = props =
             onChange={onSelectTriggerType}
             errorMessage={formData.errors.$type}
             data-testid={'triggerTypeDropDown'}
+            defaultSelectedKey={intentTypeKey}
           />
 
           {showEventDropDown && (
diff --git a/Composer/packages/client/src/utils/dialogUtil.ts b/Composer/packages/client/src/utils/dialogUtil.ts
index 20a7efb5bb..7a9b66676a 100644
--- a/Composer/packages/client/src/utils/dialogUtil.ts
+++ b/Composer/packages/client/src/utils/dialogUtil.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ export function getDialog(dialogs: DialogInfo[], dialogId: string) {
 }
 
 export const eventTypeKey: string = SDKTypes.OnDialogEvent;
+export const intentTypeKey: string = SDKTypes.OnIntent;
 
 export function getFriendlyName(data) {
   if (get(data, '$designer.name')) {
@@ -106,10 +107,6 @@ export function deleteTrigger(dialogs: DialogInfo[], dialogId: string, index: nu
 
 export function getTriggerTypes(): IDropdownOption[] {
   const triggerTypes: IDropdownOption[] = [
-    {
-      key: '',
-      text: '',
-    },
     ...dialogGroups[DialogGroup.EVENTS].types.map(t => {
       let name = t as string;
       const labelOverrides = ConceptLabels[t];