Web Server OTA Updates

The Web Server OTA platform allows you to upload new firmware binaries to your ESPHome devices directly through the web interface. This provides a user-friendly way to update devices without needing command-line tools or the ESPHome dashboard.

When enabled, an “OTA Update” section appears on the device’s web interface where you can select and upload a firmware file. This is particularly useful for devices that are deployed in the field or when you want to allow non-technical users to perform updates.

⚠️ Warning
Enabling OTA updates through the web interface without authentication allows anyone with network access to your device to upload new firmware. It is strongly recommended to enable authentication on the web server when using this feature.

# Example configuration entry
web_server:
  port: 80
  auth:
    username: !secret web_server_username
    password: !secret web_server_password

ota:
  - platform: web_server

Configuration variables

id (Optional, ID): Manually specify the ID used for code generation.
All automations supported by Over-the-Air Updates.

ℹ️ Note
This platform requires the Web Server Component component to be configured in your device.

Migration from Legacy Configuration

Prior to ESPHome 2025.7.0, OTA functionality was built into the web_server component using the ota option. This has been moved to a separate platform for consistency with other OTA methods.

Old configuration:

web_server:
  port: 80
  ota: true  # or ota: false to disable

New configuration:

web_server:
  port: 80

ota:
  - platform: web_server  # Add this to enable web OTA

If you previously had ota: false in your web_server configuration, simply remove that line and don’t add the web_server OTA platform.

Example Configurations

Basic setup with web server OTA:

# Basic configuration
web_server:
  port: 80

ota:
  - platform: web_server

Secure setup with authentication:

# Recommended: with authentication
web_server:
  port: 80
  auth:
    username: admin
    password: !secret web_password

ota:
  - platform: web_server

Using the Web Interface

Navigate to your device’s web interface at http://<device-ip>/ or http://<device-name>.local/
If authentication is enabled, enter your username and password
Scroll down to the “OTA Update” section
Click “Choose File” and select your firmware file (firmware.bin )
Click “Update” to start the upload
Wait for the upload to complete - the device will automatically reboot with the new firmware

⚠️ Warning
Always use firmware.bin or firmware.ota.bin files for OTA updates, not firmware.factory.bin files
The web interface may become unresponsive during the update process - this is normal
Do not power off the device during an update