Install the ESP8266 Board in Arduino IDE.

Install ESP8266 Add-on in Arduino IDE.

The ESP8266 community created an add-on for the Arduino IDE that allows you to program the ESP8266 using the Arduino IDE and its programming language.

This tutorial shows how to install the ESP8266 board in Arduino IDE whether you’re using Windows, Mac OS X or Linux.

Watch the Video Tutorial.

This tutorial is available in video format (watch below) and in written format (continue reading this page). 

Prerequisites: Arduino IDE Installed

Before starting this installation procedure, make sure you have the latest version of the Arduino IDE installed in your computer. If you don’t, uninstall it and install it again. Otherwise, it may not work.

Having the latest Arduino IDE software installed from arduino.cc/en/Main/Software, continue with this tutorial.

Do you need an ESP8266 board? You can buy it here.

Install ESP8266 Add-on in Arduino IDE

To install the ESP8266 board in your Arduino IDE, follow these next instructions:

1. In your Arduino IDE, go to File> Preferences

 

2. Enter http://arduino.esp8266.com/stable/package_esp8266com_index.json into the “Additional Boards Manager URLs” field as shown in the figure below. Then, click the “OK” button:

Note: if you already have the ESP32 boards URL, you can separate the URLs with a comma as follows:

ESP32-:https://dl.espressif.com/dl/package_esp32_index.json

ESP8266-:http://arduino.esp8266.com/stable/package_esp8266com_index.json

3. Open the Boards Manager. Go to Tools > Board > Boards Manager…

 

4. Search for ESP8266 and press install button for the “ESP8266 by ESP8266 Community“:

5. That’s it. It should be installed after a few seconds.

NOTE. If you get the error “COM Port not found/not available”, you might need to install the CP210x Drivers:

• Install USB Drivers – CP210x USB to UART Bridge (Windows PC)
• Install USB Drivers – CP210x USB to UART Bridge (Mac OS X)

Do you have any questions? Leave a comment below!