diff --git a/src/common.ts b/src/common.ts
index 3c415b4..2d181fe 100644
--- a/src/common.ts
+++ b/src/common.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ export const TAB_CLASSNAME = 'yfm-tab';
 export const TAB_PANEL_CLASSNAME = 'yfm-tab-panel';
 export const ACTIVE_CLASSNAME = 'active';
 export const VERTICAL_TAB_CLASSNAME = 'yfm-vertical-tab';
+export const VERTICAL_TAB_FORCED_OPEN = 'data-diplodoc-radio-forced';
 
 export const GROUP_DATA_KEY = 'data-diplodoc-group';
 export const TAB_DATA_KEY = 'data-diplodoc-key';
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ export const TAB_ACTIVE_KEY = 'data-diplodoc-is-active';
 export const TAB_RADIO_KEY = 'data-diplodoc-input';
 
 export const DEFAULT_TABS_GROUP_PREFIX = 'defaultTabsGroup-';
+export const ACTIVE_TAB_TEXT = '{selected}';
 
 export interface Tab {
     group?: string;
diff --git a/src/plugin/getTabId.ts b/src/plugin/getTabId.ts
index 9f28b07..f91f02d 100644
--- a/src/plugin/getTabId.ts
+++ b/src/plugin/getTabId.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import GithubSlugger from 'github-slugger';
 
 import {Tab} from './transform';
+import {ACTIVE_TAB_TEXT} from '../common';
 
 const CUSTOM_ID_REGEXP = /\[?{ ?#(\S+) ?}]?/;
 
@@ -8,16 +9,24 @@ const sluggersStorage = new Map<string, GithubSlugger>();
 
 function parseName(name: string) {
     const parts = name.match(CUSTOM_ID_REGEXP);
-    if (!parts) {
-        return {
-            name,
-            customAnchor: null,
-        };
+    let customAnchor: string | null = null;
+    let pure = name;
+
+    if (parts) {
+        pure = name.replace(parts[0], '');
+        customAnchor = parts[1];
+    } else {
+        pure = name;
+        customAnchor = null;
+    }
+
+    if (pure.includes(ACTIVE_TAB_TEXT)) {
+        pure = pure.replace(ACTIVE_TAB_TEXT, '');
     }
 
     return {
-        name: name.replace(parts[0], '').trim(),
-        customAnchor: parts[1],
+        name: pure.trim(),
+        customAnchor,
     };
 }
 
@@ -40,5 +49,7 @@ export function getName(tab: Tab) {
 }
 
 function getRawId(tab: Tab): string {
-    return parseName(tab.name).customAnchor || tab.name;
+    const {customAnchor, name} = parseName(tab.name);
+
+    return customAnchor || name;
 }
diff --git a/src/plugin/transform.ts b/src/plugin/transform.ts
index ad98a26..bc7c0d6 100644
--- a/src/plugin/transform.ts
+++ b/src/plugin/transform.ts
@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@ import MarkdownIt from 'markdown-it';
 import StateCore from 'markdown-it/lib/rules_core/state_core';
 import Token from 'markdown-it/lib/token';
 
-import {addHiddenProperty, generateID} from './utils';
+import {addHiddenProperty, generateID, trim, unquote} from './utils';
 import {copyRuntimeFiles} from './copyRuntimeFiles';
 import {getName, getTabId, getTabKey} from './getTabId';
+
 import {
     ACTIVE_CLASSNAME,
+    ACTIVE_TAB_TEXT,
     DEFAULT_TABS_GROUP_PREFIX,
     GROUP_DATA_KEY,
     TABS_CLASSNAME,
@@ -19,6 +21,7 @@ import {
     TAB_DATA_VERTICAL_TAB,
     TAB_PANEL_CLASSNAME,
     VERTICAL_TAB_CLASSNAME,
+    VERTICAL_TAB_FORCED_OPEN,
 } from '../common';
 
 export type PluginOptions = {
@@ -30,7 +33,7 @@ export type PluginOptions = {
 
 export type TabsOrientation = 'radio' | 'horizontal';
 
-const TAB_RE = /`?{% list tabs( group=([^ ]*))?( (radio)|(horizontal))? %}`?/;
+const TAB_RE = /`?{% list tabs .*?%}`?/;
 
 let runsCounter = 0;
 
@@ -162,6 +165,13 @@ function insertTabs(
     tabListClose.block = true;
 
     const areTabsVerticalClass = align === 'radio' && TABS_VERTICAL_CLASSNAME;
+    const activeTabsCount = tabs.filter(isTabSelected).length;
+
+    if (activeTabsCount > 1) {
+        throw new Error('Unable to render tabs with more than 1 active element');
+    }
+
+    const hasDefaultOpenTab = activeTabsCount !== 0;
 
     tabsOpen.attrSet(
         'class',
@@ -192,6 +202,12 @@ function insertTabs(
         const tab = tabs[i];
         const tabId = getTabId(tab, {runId});
         const tabKey = getTabKey(tab);
+        const didTabHasActiveAttr = isTabSelected(tab);
+        /* if user did not provide default open tab we fallback to first tab (in default tabs only) */
+        const isTabActive = hasDefaultOpenTab
+            ? didTabHasActiveAttr
+            : align === 'horizontal' && i === 0;
+
         tab.name = getName(tab);
 
         const tabPanelId = generateID();
@@ -211,13 +227,13 @@ function insertTabs(
         tabPanelClose.block = true;
         tabOpen.attrSet(TAB_DATA_ID, tabId);
         tabOpen.attrSet(TAB_DATA_KEY, tabKey);
-        tabOpen.attrSet(TAB_ACTIVE_KEY, i === 0 ? 'true' : 'false');
         tabOpen.attrSet('class', TAB_CLASSNAME);
         tabOpen.attrJoin('class', 'yfm-tab-group');
         tabOpen.attrSet('role', 'tab');
         tabOpen.attrSet('aria-controls', tabPanelId);
         tabOpen.attrSet('aria-selected', 'false');
         tabOpen.attrSet('tabindex', i === 0 ? '0' : '-1');
+        tabOpen.attrSet(TAB_ACTIVE_KEY, 'false');
         tabPanelOpen.attrSet('id', tabPanelId);
         tabPanelOpen.attrSet('class', TAB_PANEL_CLASSNAME);
         tabPanelOpen.attrSet('role', 'tabpanel');
@@ -229,15 +245,17 @@ function insertTabs(
             tabOpen.attrJoin('class', VERTICAL_TAB_CLASSNAME);
         }
 
-        if (i === 0) {
-            if (align === 'horizontal') {
+        if (isTabActive) {
+            if (align === 'radio') {
+                tabOpen.attrSet(VERTICAL_TAB_FORCED_OPEN, 'true');
+                verticalTabOpen.attrSet('checked', 'true');
+                tabPanelOpen.attrJoin('class', ACTIVE_CLASSNAME);
+            } else {
+                tabOpen.attrSet(TAB_ACTIVE_KEY, i === 0 ? 'true' : 'false');
                 tabOpen.attrJoin('class', ACTIVE_CLASSNAME);
                 tabOpen.attrSet('aria-selected', 'true');
-            } else {
-                verticalTabOpen.attrSet('checked', 'true');
+                tabPanelOpen.attrJoin('class', ACTIVE_CLASSNAME);
             }
-
-            tabPanelOpen.attrJoin('class', ACTIVE_CLASSNAME);
         }
 
         if (align === 'radio') {
@@ -264,6 +282,12 @@ function insertTabs(
     return tabsTokens.length;
 }
 
+function isTabSelected(tab: Tab) {
+    const {name} = tab;
+
+    return name.includes(ACTIVE_TAB_TEXT);
+}
+
 function findCloseTokenIdx(tokens: Token[], idx: number) {
     let level = 0;
     let i = idx;
@@ -291,14 +315,49 @@ function matchCloseToken(tokens: Token[], i: number) {
     );
 }
 
+type TabsProps = {
+    content: string;
+    orientation: TabsOrientation;
+    group: string;
+};
+
 function matchOpenToken(tokens: Token[], i: number) {
     return (
         tokens[i].type === 'paragraph_open' &&
         tokens[i + 1].type === 'inline' &&
-        tokens[i + 1].content.match(TAB_RE)
+        TAB_RE.test(tokens[i + 1].content) &&
+        props(tokens[i + 1].content)
     );
 }
 
+function props(target: string): TabsProps {
+    target = trim(target.replace('list tabs', ''));
+
+    const props = target.split(' ');
+    const result: TabsProps = {
+        content: target,
+        orientation: 'horizontal',
+        group: `${DEFAULT_TABS_GROUP_PREFIX}${generateID()}`,
+    };
+
+    for (const prop of props) {
+        const [key, value] = prop.split('=').map(trim);
+
+        switch (key) {
+            case 'horizontal':
+            case 'radio':
+                result.orientation = key as TabsOrientation;
+                break;
+            case 'group':
+                result.group = unquote(value);
+                break;
+            default:
+            // TODO: lint unknown tabs props
+        }
+    }
+
+    return result;
+}
 export function transform({
     runtimeJsPath = '_assets/tabs-extension.js',
     runtimeCssPath = '_assets/tabs-extension.css',
@@ -318,7 +377,7 @@ export function transform({
 
             while (i < tokens.length) {
                 const match = matchOpenToken(tokens, i);
-                const openTag = match && match[0];
+                const openTag = match && match.content;
                 const isNotEscaped = openTag && !(openTag.startsWith('`') && openTag.endsWith('`'));
 
                 if (!match || !isNotEscaped) {
@@ -334,8 +393,7 @@ export function transform({
                     continue;
                 }
 
-                const tabsGroup = match[2] || `${DEFAULT_TABS_GROUP_PREFIX}${generateID()}`;
-                const orientation = (match[4] || 'horizontal') as TabsOrientation;
+                const tabsGroup = match.group;
 
                 const {tabs} = findTabs(state.tokens, i + 3);
 
@@ -343,7 +401,7 @@ export function transform({
                     insertTabs(
                         tabs,
                         state,
-                        orientation,
+                        match.orientation,
                         {start: i, end: closeTokenIdx + 2},
                         {
                             containerClasses,
diff --git a/src/plugin/utils.ts b/src/plugin/utils.ts
index 1356e11..bc58bd3 100644
--- a/src/plugin/utils.ts
+++ b/src/plugin/utils.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,14 @@ export function generateID() {
     return id.substring(id.length - 8);
 }
 
+export function trim(target: string) {
+    return target.trim();
+}
+
+export function unquote(target: string) {
+    return target.match(/^(["']).*\1$/) ? target.slice(1, -1) : target;
+}
+
 export function addHiddenProperty<
     B extends Record<string | symbol, unknown>,
     F extends string | symbol,
diff --git a/src/runtime/TabsController.ts b/src/runtime/TabsController.ts
index f889dd3..c517811 100644
--- a/src/runtime/TabsController.ts
+++ b/src/runtime/TabsController.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
     TAB_DATA_KEY,
     TAB_PANEL_CLASSNAME,
     Tab,
+    VERTICAL_TAB_FORCED_OPEN,
 } from '../common';
 import type {TabsOrientation} from '../plugin/transform';
 import {
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ export class TabsController {
         const previousTargetOffset =
             scrollableParent && getOffsetByScrollableParent(targetTab, scrollableParent);
 
-        const updatedTabs = this.updateHTML({group, key, align}, align);
+        const updatedTabs = this.updateHTML({group, key, align}, targetTab, align);
 
         if (updatedTabs > 0) {
             this.fireSelectTabEvent({group, key, align}, targetTab?.dataset.diplodocId);
@@ -163,10 +164,14 @@ export class TabsController {
         }
     }
 
-    private updateHTML(tab: Required<Tab>, align: TabsOrientation) {
+    private updateHTML(
+        tab: Required<Tab>,
+        target: HTMLElement | undefined,
+        align: TabsOrientation,
+    ) {
         switch (align) {
             case 'radio': {
-                return this.updateHTMLVertical(tab);
+                return this.updateHTMLVertical(tab, target);
             }
             case 'horizontal': {
                 return this.updateHTMLHorizontal(tab);
@@ -176,13 +181,23 @@ export class TabsController {
         return 0;
     }
 
-    private updateHTMLVertical(tab: Required<Tab>) {
+    private updateHTMLVertical(tab: Required<Tab>, target: HTMLElement | undefined) {
         const {group, key} = tab;
 
+        const {isForced, root} = this.didTabOpenForce(target);
+
+        const singleTabSelector = isForced
+            ? `.yfm-vertical-tab[${VERTICAL_TAB_FORCED_OPEN}="true"]`
+            : '';
+
         const tabs = this._document.querySelectorAll(
-            `${Selector.TABS}[${GROUP_DATA_KEY}="${group}"] ${Selector.TAB}[${TAB_DATA_KEY}="${key}"]`,
+            `${Selector.TABS}[${GROUP_DATA_KEY}="${group}"] ${Selector.TAB}[${TAB_DATA_KEY}="${key}"]${singleTabSelector}`,
         );
 
+        if (isForced) {
+            root?.removeAttribute(VERTICAL_TAB_FORCED_OPEN);
+        }
+
         let updated = 0;
 
         tabs.forEach((tab) => {
@@ -194,16 +209,29 @@ export class TabsController {
 
                 const input = title.children.item(0) as HTMLInputElement;
 
+                if (title === tab) {
+                    const checked = input.checked;
+
+                    if (checked) {
+                        title.classList.remove('active');
+                        content?.classList.remove('active');
+
+                        input.removeAttribute('checked');
+                    } else {
+                        title.classList.add('active');
+                        content?.classList.add('active');
+
+                        input.setAttribute('checked', 'true');
+                    }
+
+                    continue;
+                }
+
                 if (input.hasAttribute('checked')) {
                     title.classList.remove('active');
                     content?.classList.remove('active');
-                    input.removeAttribute('checked');
-                }
 
-                if (title === tab) {
-                    title.classList.add('active');
-                    content?.classList.add('active');
-                    input.setAttribute('checked', 'true');
+                    input.removeAttribute('checked');
                 }
 
                 updated++;
@@ -272,6 +300,18 @@ export class TabsController {
         );
     }
 
+    private didTabOpenForce(target?: HTMLElement) {
+        if (!target) {
+            return {};
+        }
+
+        const root = target.dataset.diplodocVerticalTab ? target : target.parentElement;
+
+        const isForced = typeof root?.dataset.diplodocRadioForced !== 'undefined';
+
+        return {root, isForced};
+    }
+
     private fireSelectTabEvent(tab: Required<Tab>, diplodocId?: string) {
         const {group, key, align} = tab;
 
diff --git a/test/plugin.test.ts b/test/plugin.test.ts
index ff3a0f0..2fbd639 100644
--- a/test/plugin.test.ts
+++ b/test/plugin.test.ts
@@ -87,12 +87,12 @@ describe('plugin', () => {
         const attrs = [
             'data-diplodoc-id',
             'data-diplodoc-key',
-            'data-diplodoc-is-active',
             'class',
             'role',
             'aria-controls',
             'aria-selected',
             'tabindex',
+            'data-diplodoc-is-active',
         ];
 
         // ACT