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ESPN · private leagues

Connect your private ESPN league

ESPN doesn’t have a “Log in” button for apps like ours, so a private league needs two little codes from your browser. It takes about a minute, on a computer. No tech experience needed — just follow along.

First: are you sure it’s private?

On the connect screen, just enter your league IDand season and hit connect. If it goes straight through, your league is public and you’re done — no codes needed. If it says the league is private, come back here.

The two codes you’ll copy

They’re called “cookies.” You don’t need to understand them — just find them and paste them. Here’s what each looks like so you know you’ve got the right thing:

espn_s2
A very long jumble of letters, numbers, and % symbols. Example (yours will be much longer):
AEBxk9F%2FaT3p...hundreds-more-characters...Qg%3D%3D
SWID
A short code wrapped in curly braces { }. Example:
{1A2B3C4D-5E6F-7A8B-9C0D-E1F2A3B4C5D6}

Good news: you can paste both into one boxon Hot Mic, in any order — we’ll pick out each one automatically.

The steps (Mac or PC, any browser)

The flow is the same everywhere — only two little things change depending on your browser and computer. Those are called out in each step.

Safari users — do this first

Safari (Mac) hides these tools until you switch them on, one time: Safari menu → Settings → Advanced → check “Show features for web developers.” Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Firefox need no setup. (Skip this if you’re not on Safari.)

  1. 1
    On a computer (Mac or PC), open fantasy.espn.com, log in, and go to your league.
  2. 2
    Open your browser’s tools. The easy way on any browser: right-click anywhere on the page → Inspect. Or use the keyboard:Windows / PC: press F12 · Mac: press ⌥ Option + ⌘ Command + I
  3. 3
    Find the Cookies list. Click the tab named for your browser:Chrome · Edge · Brave: click the Application tabFirefox · Safari: click the Storage tabThen on the left: expand Cookies → click https://fantasy.espn.com. (Don’t see the tab? Click the » arrows to reveal more.)
  4. 4
    A table appears. Find espn_s2 and SWID in the Name column, and copy each Value (double-click the value, then ⌘C on Mac / Ctrl + Con PC). Paste both into the one box on Hot Mic’s connect screen — done. 🎙️

Any modern browser works. If one is giving you trouble, Chrome tends to be the most straightforward for this — but it’s the exact same four steps everywhere.

Troubleshooting & FAQ

Does it matter which computer or browser I use?
No — it works on Mac or Windows PC, in Chrome, Edge, Brave, Firefox, or Safari. The only differences: Safari needs the one-time setup above; the tools tab is called Application in Chrome/Edge/Brave and Storage in Firefox/Safari; and to copy you press ⌘C on Mac, Ctrl + C on PC. Everything else is identical.
Where do I find my league ID?
It’s the number right after leagueId=in your league’s web address. Example: …/league?leagueId=83251 → your league ID is 83251.
It says my league is private — is something wrong?
Nope, that’s normal for most ESPN leagues. It just means we need your two codes. Follow the steps above and paste them in.
I don't see espn_s2 or SWID in the list.
Two things to check: (1) make sure you’re actually logged in to ESPN, and (2) you’re looking under https://fantasy.espn.com(not espn.com). Refresh the page while logged in and they’ll appear.
It said my cookies didn't work / connection failed.
ESPN logs you out every so often, which makes old codes stop working. Just grab fresh ones (repeat the steps) and paste them again. If it still fails, double-check you copied the entireespn_s2 value — it’s very long and easy to cut short.
Do I have to do this every week?
No — usually just once. If ESPN ever signs you out and your connection lapses mid-season, we’ll email you a one-click reconnect link so you never miss a show.
Is this safe? Are you getting my password?
We never see your password. These two codes are read-only — they let us see your league’s scores and rosters to make your show, and nothing else. They can’t change your account. Want to revoke access? Just log out of ESPN.
Can I do this on my phone?
It’s much easier on a computer — phone browsers make the developer tools hard to reach. If you only have a phone, ask a leaguemate on a laptop, or use a computer for this one step.
Still stuck?
Use the chat bubble in the corner, or email support@hotmicffl.com — we’ll walk you through it.
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