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Arduino IDE: ESP32 board missing from the Tools > Board list

ESP32 boards appear only after you install the esp32 board package. Add the Espressif URL in Preferences, then install the package in the Boards Manager.

What the message means

The Arduino IDE ships with Arduino boards only. Other chips come from board packages that you add. Until the esp32 package is installed, no ESP32 entries exist.

Fix it in this order

  1. Open File > Preferences and add the Espressif board manager URL to Additional boards manager URLs. Copy the current URL from the Espressif Arduino documentation.
  2. Open Tools > Board > Boards Manager, search for esp32 and install the package by Espressif Systems.
  3. Wait for the download to finish. It is large, and a slow link can time out; try again if it fails.
  4. Restart the IDE. Pick your board under Tools > Board > esp32, for example ESP32 Dev Module.
  5. If the install fails, check your disk space and any firewall or proxy that blocks the download.
  6. If the board is listed but uploads fail, see the failed to connect page.

Why it happens

The ESP32 boards are not built into the Arduino IDE. You add the Espressif board package through the Boards Manager.

Open File, Preferences, and add this address to Additional Boards Manager URLs: https://espressif.github.io/arduino-esp32/package_esp32_index.json. Then open the Boards Manager, search for esp32 by Espressif Systems, and install it. Restart the IDE and pick your board under Tools.

If you see this, do this

You seeDo this
No esp32 entry after installRestart the IDE.
Download stallsRetry on a stable connection.

Arduino IDE setup, ESP32 failed to connect.

Last reviewed: November 2026. These are the usual causes and the order that finds them fastest. Test on your own board; clones and cables differ.

Why this happens

The Arduino IDE ships with the Arduino AVR boards only. Every other board family comes as a package that the IDE gets from a JSON index file. The index is found through the list of additional board manager URLs in the preferences. If the address is not there, the IDE does not know that the esp32 package exists, so searching the Boards Manager finds nothing, and the Tools menu has no ESP32 entries.

Even with the address set, the package must be installed, not just listed. The menu shows an ESP32 submenu only after the install finishes. A failed or interrupted install leaves the Boards Manager showing the package as available but the Tools menu without the entries.

How to confirm the cause

  • Open Preferences and look at the additional board manager URLs. In IDE 2 it opens a small window with one address per line. In IDE 1.8 it is one field, with several addresses separated by commas.
  • Open the Boards Manager and search for esp32. If Espressif Systems appears with an Install button, the index loaded. If it appears with a version and a Remove button, it is installed.
  • If the search finds nothing, the address is wrong or blocked. Open the address in a browser and see if it shows JSON.
  • After a successful install, restart the IDE, then check Tools, Board, esp32 for entries such as ESP32 Dev Module.
  • Check the IDE’s output panel during the install for error messages.

Worked example

The command line tool can also check what the IDE should see. Replace the placeholder with the current Espressif address from their documentation. After the install, the list shows the installed core and its version.

arduino-cli config add board_manager.additional_urls <ESPRESSIF_INDEX_URL>
arduino-cli core update-index
arduino-cli core search esp32
arduino-cli core install esp32:esp32
arduino-cli core list
arduino-cli board listall esp32

Common mistakes

  • Adding the address to the wrong preferences field or leaving a typo in it.
  • Searching for ESP32 and installing the wrong package from another author.
  • Closing the IDE during the install.
  • Looking in the main Board list when the entries are in the esp32 submenu.

If this did not fix it

  • A download that did not finish, so reinstall and check free disk space.
  • A proxy or firewall that blocks the host with the package files.
  • An old IDE that does not support the newer package, so update the IDE.