Is ChatGPT down right now

ChatGPT suddenly stops mid-sentence, the page won't load, or you're staring at an endless spinning wheel. Check the [live OpenAI status](/status) on this page — it updates every 60 seconds from OpenAI's official feed and

Is ChatGPT down right now

ChatGPT suddenly stops mid-sentence, the page won't load, or you're staring at an endless spinning wheel. Check the live OpenAI status on this page — it updates every 60 seconds from OpenAI's official feed and shows you immediately whether ChatGPT, the API, or other services are experiencing issues.

How to check if OpenAI is actually down

Start with this site's live OpenAI status monitor at the top of the page. It pulls directly from status.openai.com every minute and breaks down ChatGPT web, mobile apps, API, and Sora separately. If you see "Operational" across the board, the outage is likely on your end. If it says "Degraded Performance" or "Major Outage" — you're not alone.

OpenAI's official status page at status.openai.com gives the same information with slightly more detail. You'll see individual components listed: ChatGPT, ChatGPT Login, API inference, DALL·E, even Labs features. Click "Subscribe to Updates" there if you want email or SMS alerts during future incidents. The page also includes an incident history showing past outages and their resolution times.

Third-party monitors like DownDetector show real-time user reports, but treat them carefully. A spike in reports usually means something's actually broken, but people also report problems when they've simply hit their usage limit or forgotten their password. Cross-reference with the official status before assuming widespread downtime.

Is it OpenAI or is it you

Before blaming the servers, spend two minutes ruling out local issues. Open an incognito window (Ctrl+Shift+N on Chrome, Cmd+Shift+N on Safari) and try logging into chatgpt.com. If it works there, you've got a browser cache or extension problem.

Clear your browser data specifically for chatgpt.com: Settings → Privacy and security → Clear browsing data → select "Cookies and other site data" plus "Cached images and files" → Time range "All time" → Clear data. Then log back in. This fixes about 40% of "ChatGPT won't load" complaints.

Disable browser extensions one by one. Ad blockers, privacy tools, and VPN extensions frequently break ChatGPT's WebSocket connections, causing phantom outages. Test with all extensions off first, then re-enable them individually until you find the culprit.

Try a different network. If you're on corporate Wi-Fi, IT departments sometimes block chatgpt.com or platform.openai.com at the firewall level. Switch to your phone's hotspot and test. If ChatGPT suddenly works, the problem is your network configuration, not OpenAI's servers. See ChatGPT not working — troubleshooting for detailed network diagnostics.

Test the mobile app separately from the browser. Download the official ChatGPT app from the iOS App Store or Google Play and check if it works when the web version doesn't. If the app functions normally, you're dealing with a browser-specific issue, not a service outage.

What to do during an outage

Wait it out without making changes to your account. Do not cancel your Plus or Team subscription during an outage — billing issues are harder to resolve than service interruptions. Don't delete and recreate your account. Don't clear your entire conversation history hoping it'll help. None of these actions fix server-side problems.

For API users experiencing errors, implement exponential backoff immediately. When you hit error 503 (service unavailable) or 529 (server overloaded), wait 1 second, then 2, then 4, then 8 before retrying. Set a maximum retry budget — stop after 5 attempts rather than hammering the endpoint. Queue your requests locally and process them when service returns. See OpenAI API error 429 and other API errors for specific retry code patterns.

Monitor the status page for updates. OpenAI typically posts incident updates every 15-30 minutes during major outages, including estimated restoration times. Subscribe to updates there so you're not refreshing the page manually.

Don't flood OpenAI support with "is it down" tickets during confirmed outages. Their support team can't restore service faster than the engineering team already working on it. Save your support inquiry for persistent problems that continue after the status page shows "Operational." Learn how to actually reach them at How to contact OpenAI support.

Questions people actually ask

Q: Is ChatGPT down right now?

A: Check the live OpenAI status at the top of this page — it updates every 60 seconds and shows current status for ChatGPT web, mobile, API, and other services.

Q: Why does ChatGPT say "at capacity" if the status page shows it's operational?

A: High demand can create brief capacity issues that don't trigger a formal incident. Plus subscribers get priority access during these periods. Retry in 5-10 minutes.

Q: How long do OpenAI outages usually last?

A: Most incidents resolve within 30-90 minutes. Major outages affecting multiple services occasionally extend to 2-4 hours. Check the incident history at status.openai.com for patterns.

Q: Will OpenAI refund my Plus subscription for downtime?

A: OpenAI's Terms of Service don't guarantee uptime percentages or automatic refunds. You can request a refund through their support system for extended outages, but approval isn't guaranteed.

What to remember

  • Check the live status monitor first — it updates every 60 seconds and separates ChatGPT from API from other services
  • Test in incognito mode and on mobile before assuming widespread outage
  • Clear cookies and cache for chatgpt.com specifically, not your entire browser
  • Don't cancel subscriptions or delete data during outages — you can't fix server problems from your account
  • API users: implement exponential backoff and request queuing, not infinite retries

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*openai-support.com is an independent resource, not affiliated with OpenAI Inc.*

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