diff --git a/tests/e2e/specs/dashboard-samples/RecommendedExtensions.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/specs/dashboard-samples/RecommendedExtensions.spec.ts
index fe052148287..1daa06e27e2 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/specs/dashboard-samples/RecommendedExtensions.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/specs/dashboard-samples/RecommendedExtensions.spec.ts
@@ -205,8 +205,16 @@ async function getVisibleFilteredItemsAndCompareWithRecommended(recommendations:
 		Logger.debug(`Found authors: ${allFoundRecommendedAuthors.join(', ')}`);
 		Logger.debug(`Expected authors: ${recommendations.join(', ')}`);
 
-		const allFoundAuthorsAsSortedString: string = allFoundRecommendedAuthors.sort().toString();
-		const allPublisherNamesAsSortedString: string = recommendations.sort().toString();
+		// normalize authors for comparison: UI shows display names (e.g. "Red Hat"),
+		// while extensions.json contains publisher IDs (e.g. "redhat")
+		const allFoundAuthorsAsSortedString: string = allFoundRecommendedAuthors
+			.map((author: string): string => author.toLowerCase().replace(/\s+/g, ''))
+			.sort()
+			.toString();
+		const allPublisherNamesAsSortedString: string = recommendations
+			.map((name: string): string => name.toLowerCase().replace(/\s+/g, ''))
+			.sort()
+			.toString();
 
 		Logger.debug(`Sorted found authors: ${allFoundAuthorsAsSortedString}`);
 		Logger.debug(`Sorted expected authors: ${allPublisherNamesAsSortedString}`);
@@ -232,10 +240,15 @@ async function getVisibleFilteredItemsAndCompareWithInstalled(recommendations: s
 		allFoundRecommendedItems.map(async (item: ExtensionsViewItem): Promise<string> => await item.getAuthor())
 	);
 
-	const allFoundAuthorsAsSortedString: string = allFoundRecommendedAuthors.sort().toString();
-	const allPublisherNamesAsSortString: string = recommendations.sort().toString();
+	// normalize authors for comparison: UI shows display names (e.g. "Red Hat"),
+	// while extensions.json contains publisher IDs (e.g. "redhat")
+	const normalizedAuthors: string[] = allFoundRecommendedAuthors
+		.map((author: string): string => author.toLowerCase().replace(/\s+/g, ''))
+		.sort();
+	const normalizedPublishers: string[] = recommendations.map((name: string): string => name.toLowerCase().replace(/\s+/g, '')).sort();
+
 	// in some cases we can have installed not only recommended extensions with some samples (for example .Net)
-	return allFoundAuthorsAsSortedString.includes(allPublisherNamesAsSortString);
+	return normalizedPublishers.every((publisher: string): boolean => normalizedAuthors.includes(publisher));
 }
 
 for (const sample of samples) {
@@ -322,6 +335,9 @@ for (const sample of samples) {
 				await projectAndFileTests.getProjectTreeItem(projectSection, pathToExtensionsListFileName, vsCodeFolderItemLevel)
 			)?.select();
 
+			// wait for the folder to expand and the file to appear in the project tree
+			await projectAndFileTests.waitProjectTreeItem(projectSection, extensionsListFileName, vsCodeFolderItemLevel + 1);
+
 			await (
 				await projectAndFileTests.getProjectTreeItem(projectSection, extensionsListFileName, vsCodeFolderItemLevel + 1)
 			)?.select();
@@ -329,6 +345,9 @@ for (const sample of samples) {
 			await new EditorView().openEditor(extensionsListFileName);
 			await driverHelper.waitVisibility(webCheCodeLocators.Editor.inputArea);
 
+			// click on the editor input area to ensure it has focus before copying text
+			await driverHelper.waitAndClick(webCheCodeLocators.Editor.inputArea);
+
 			Logger.debug('Select and copy all text in the editor');
 			const text: string = await getText();
 			recommendedExtensions = JSON.parse(text.replace(/\/\*[\s\S]*?\*\/|(?<=[^:])\/\/.*|^\/\/.*/g, '').trim());
@@ -424,6 +443,7 @@ for (const sample of samples) {
 				await driverHelper.wait(TIMEOUT_CONSTANTS.TS_EXPAND_PROJECT_TREE_ITEM_TIMEOUT);
 				await findItem(extensionSection, '@installed ');
 			}
+
 			expect(await getVisibleFilteredItemsAndCompareWithInstalled(publisherNames)).to.be.true;
 			Logger.debug(`All recommended extensions were found by  @installed filter: ---- ${publisherNames} ----`);
 		});
diff --git a/tests/e2e/tests-library/ProjectAndFileTests.ts b/tests/e2e/tests-library/ProjectAndFileTests.ts
index 1f6e0e27989..75306ed98d7 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/tests-library/ProjectAndFileTests.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/tests-library/ProjectAndFileTests.ts
@@ -198,6 +198,32 @@ export class ProjectAndFileTests {
 		return projectTreeItem;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * wait for a specific item to appear in the project tree by polling.
+	 * useful after expanding a folder to wait until its children are rendered.
+	 * @param projectSection ViewSection with project tree files.
+	 * @param label Label of the item to wait for.
+	 * @param itemLevel Depth level of the item in the tree.
+	 */
+	async waitProjectTreeItem(projectSection: ViewSection, label: string, itemLevel: number = 2): Promise<void> {
+		Logger.debug(`waiting for "${label}" at level ${itemLevel}`);
+
+		const timeout: number = TIMEOUT_CONSTANTS.TS_EXPAND_PROJECT_TREE_ITEM_TIMEOUT;
+		const polling: number = TIMEOUT_CONSTANTS.TS_SELENIUM_DEFAULT_POLLING;
+		const attempts: number = Math.ceil(timeout / polling);
+
+		for (let i: number = 0; i < attempts; i++) {
+			const item: ViewItem | undefined = await projectSection.findItem(label, itemLevel);
+			if (item) {
+				Logger.debug(`"${label}" found after ${i + 1} attempt(s)`);
+				return;
+			}
+			await this.driverHelper.wait(polling);
+		}
+
+		throw new Error(`Item "${label}" not found in the project tree at level ${itemLevel} after ${timeout}ms`);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @returns {string} Branch name of cloned repository
 	 */