Is ChatGPT down right now

If ChatGPT won't load or keeps throwing errors, you need to know within seconds whether it's a widespread outage or something on your end. Check the [live OpenAI status](/status) on this site — it updates every 60 second

Is ChatGPT down right now

If ChatGPT won't load or keeps throwing errors, you need to know within seconds whether it's a widespread outage or something on your end. Check the live OpenAI status on this site — it updates every 60 seconds from OpenAI's official feed — and you'll see exactly which components are affected right now.

How to check if OpenAI is actually down

Start with the live OpenAI status monitor at the top of this site. It pulls data directly from OpenAI's status API every 60 seconds, so you'll see real-time operational status for ChatGPT, the API, Sora, and other services. Green means operational. Yellow means degraded performance. Red means partial or major outage.

If you see red or yellow next to ChatGPT specifically, OpenAI has confirmed an issue. You can also visit status.openai.com directly for the same information plus incident history and subscriber updates. OpenAI's status page breaks down each service component — ChatGPT web, ChatGPT mobile, ChatGPT API, Sora, DALL-E — so you'll know if the problem is isolated to one product or affecting everything.

Third-party sites like Downdetector aggregate user reports in real time. If thousands of people are reporting ChatGPT outages in the last 15 minutes, that's strong confirmation. Social media — especially X (Twitter) — often shows reports faster than official channels. Search "ChatGPT down" and sort by latest.

Is it OpenAI or is it you

Before assuming it's an outage, isolate whether the problem is local. Follow these steps in order:

  • Open an incognito or private browsing window and try logging into chatgpt.com. If it works there but not in your normal browser, you've got a local problem — skip to step 2.
  • Clear your browser cache and cookies for chatgpt.com specifically. In Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Clear browsing data → choose "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files", set time range to "All time", then click Clear data. In Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data → Clear Data. In Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data → search for "openai" or "chatgpt" → Remove.
  • Disable all browser extensions, especially VPN extensions, ad blockers, and privacy tools. Restart your browser and test ChatGPT again. Extensions like uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger, or Ghostery can block requests ChatGPT needs to function.
  • Turn off your VPN or proxy if you're using one. OpenAI sometimes blocks traffic from certain VPN IP ranges, especially free VPN services. Try your regular connection.
  • Test on a different device or network. Try ChatGPT on your phone using mobile data instead of WiFi. If it works there, your home network or ISP might be blocking something. If you're on a corporate or school network, IT policies might be interfering.
  • Try the ChatGPT mobile app instead of the browser, or vice versa. Sometimes one works when the other doesn't, which points to a client-specific issue rather than a service outage.

If none of these steps fix it and the status page shows green, see the full ChatGPT not working troubleshooting guide for advanced fixes including DNS issues, firewall rules, and account-specific problems.

What to do during an outage

If OpenAI confirms an outage on their status page, here's what you should do:

  • Subscribe to status updates at status.openai.com by clicking "Subscribe to Updates" in the top right. You'll get email notifications when incidents are posted and resolved.
  • For API users: implement exponential backoff. Don't hammer the API with retry requests every second — that makes the problem worse. Wait 1 second, then 2, then 4, then 8, etc. OpenAI's rate limit headers tell you when to retry. Read more about handling API 429 errors and other API issues.
  • Queue your requests if you're running production workloads. Build a simple retry queue that backs off gracefully and prioritizes critical requests.
  • Don't delete your account or cancel your subscription thinking it will fix things. It won't. You'll lose access and might lose your data.
  • Don't spam OpenAI support. During major outages, support is overwhelmed and can't respond to every ticket. Wait for the all-clear on the status page.

Questions people actually ask

Q: Is ChatGPT down right now?

A: Check the live OpenAI status monitor on this site — it updates every 60 seconds. Green means operational, yellow means degraded, red means outage. You'll see the exact status of ChatGPT, API, Sora, and all other OpenAI services.

Q: How long do ChatGPT outages usually last?

A: Most ChatGPT outages resolve within 30 minutes to 2 hours. Major incidents affecting multiple services can take 4-6 hours. OpenAI posts updates every 30-60 minutes during active incidents on status.openai.com.

Q: Will OpenAI refund my subscription if there's an outage?

A: OpenAI's terms don't guarantee refunds for temporary outages. If you've had persistent service issues over several days, you can contact support through the help center at help.openai.com, but there's no automatic refund policy for brief downtime.

Q: Why does ChatGPT say "at capacity" if it's not officially down?

A: "At capacity" errors appear when ChatGPT is under heavy load but still technically operational. The status page might show yellow (degraded performance) rather than red. Free users hit this more often than Plus subscribers, who get priority access.

What to remember

  • Check the live status monitor first — it updates every 60 seconds from OpenAI's official feed
  • Isolate local issues by testing incognito mode, clearing cache, disabling extensions, and trying different devices or networks
  • During confirmed outages, implement exponential backoff for API requests and don't spam support tickets
  • Subscribe to status.openai.com for email updates during incidents
  • The "at capacity" message isn't always a full outage — it means degraded performance for free tier users

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

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