diff --git a/esphome/components/web_server/__init__.py b/esphome/components/web_server/__init__.py
index b2c0ea14ad..d9f357f8f4 100644
--- a/esphome/components/web_server/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/web_server/__init__.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import base64
 import gzip
+from html import escape as html_escape
 import logging
 import re
 
@@ -344,8 +345,20 @@ def build_index_html(config) -> str:
     if js_include:
         html += "<script type=module src=/0.js></script>"
     html += "<esp-app></esp-app>"
-    if config[CONF_JS_URL]:
-        html += f'<script src="{config[CONF_JS_URL]}"></script>'
+    if js_url := config[CONF_JS_URL]:
+        # The interface is downloaded from the internet. Show a hint instead of a blank
+        # page when the browser cannot reach it, which is common in WiFi AP mode.
+        hint = (
+            f"Could not load the web interface from {js_url}. This browser needs internet "
+            "access to download it. To serve it from the device instead (for example in "
+            "WiFi access point mode), set local: true under web_server: in the YAML "
+            "configuration and install the firmware again."
+        )
+        # Escape for a JS single quoted string inside a double quoted HTML attribute.
+        hint_js = html_escape(
+            hint.replace("\\", "\\\\").replace("'", "\\'"), quote=True
+        )
+        html += f'<script src="{js_url}" onerror="document.body.innerText=\'{hint_js}\'"></script>'
     html += "</body></html>"
     return html
 
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/components/test_web_server.py b/tests/unit_tests/components/test_web_server.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6245f9a6f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/components/test_web_server.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+"""Tests for the web_server component index page builder."""
+
+from esphome.components.web_server import build_index_html
+from esphome.const import CONF_CSS_URL, CONF_JS_URL
+
+
+def test_build_index_html_has_offline_hint() -> None:
+    """The hosted script tag shows a hint when the browser cannot download it."""
+    html = build_index_html(
+        {CONF_JS_URL: "https://oi.esphome.io/v2/www.js", CONF_CSS_URL: ""}
+    )
+    assert '<script src="https://oi.esphome.io/v2/www.js" onerror="' in html
+    assert "local: true" in html
+    assert "https://oi.esphome.io/v2/www.js. This browser needs internet" in html
+
+
+def test_build_index_html_escapes_hint() -> None:
+    """Quotes in the script URL cannot break out of the onerror attribute."""
+    html = build_index_html({CONF_JS_URL: "http://x/a'b\"c.js", CONF_CSS_URL: ""})
+    assert "onerror=\"document.body.innerText='" in html
+    assert "a\\&#x27;b&quot;c.js" in html
+
+
+def test_build_index_html_without_js_url() -> None:
+    """No hosted script and no hint when js_url is empty."""
+    html = build_index_html({CONF_JS_URL: "", CONF_CSS_URL: ""})
+    assert "onerror" not in html
+    assert "<script" not in html