diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index cec208e8..f7124aec 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -65,6 +65,12 @@
 				}
 			]
 		},
+		"viewsWelcome": [
+			{
+				"view": "liberty-dev",
+				"contents": "%views.welcome.message%"
+			}
+		],
 		"commands": [
 			{
 				"command": "liberty.dev.show.commands",
diff --git a/package.nls.json b/package.nls.json
index 9af4b6c3..1a0f0318 100644
--- a/package.nls.json
+++ b/package.nls.json
@@ -12,5 +12,7 @@
     "commands.title.view.test.report": "View test report",
     "commands.title.add.project": "Add project to Liberty Dashboard",
     "commands.title.remove.project": "Remove project from Liberty Dashboard",
-    "commands.title.show.commands": "Show Liberty commands"
+    "commands.title.show.commands": "Show Liberty commands",
+    "views.welcome.message": "\n 1. If no projects are open in the Explorer, open or create a Liberty project using the File menu.\n[Open Project](command:vscode.openFolder) \n 2. If one or more existing Maven or Gradle projects are open in the Explorer, try one of the following actions:\n a. Configure the Liberty build plugin in the build file of an existing [Maven](https://github.com/OpenLiberty/ci.maven/#configuration) or [Gradle](https://github.com/OpenLiberty/ci.gradle#adding-the-plugin-to-the-build-script) project.\n b. Add a [server.xml file](https://openliberty.io/docs/latest/reference/config/server-configuration-overview.html#server-xml) to an existing Maven or Gradle project at “src/main/liberty/config”. \n c. Manually add an existing Maven or Gradle project to the Liberty Dashboard through the Command Palette action “Liberty: Add project to Liberty Dashboard”.\n [Add project to Liberty Dashboard](command:liberty.dev.add.project)"
+    
 }
\ No newline at end of file