How to configure Android SDK in IntelliJ Ultimate

Background

A user is trying to configure a multiplatform Kotlin project to build and run locally on an Android emulator. The user has Android Studio installed and the Android SDK installed via Android Studio. However, when trying to add the Android SDK from the disk in IntelliJ Ultimate, the directory is selectable but never added. The user also has the Android plugin installed.

Question

How can the user correctly configure the Android SDK in IntelliJ Ultimate?

Answer

The Android plugin was developed by the Google team, and the Android Studio SDK is configured differently, making the setup process in IntelliJ IDEA less intuitive. Instead of installing the Android SDK via Project Structure, try selecting it under Settings/Preferences | Languages & Frameworks | Android SDK Updater | Android SDK Location. Then check if it appears under Project Structure | SDKs.