ChatGPT Issues

ChatGPT Not Working? How to Tell If It's Down or Just You

ChatGPT stops working for two very different reasons: an OpenAI outage, or something on your end. This guide helps you diagnose which in 2 minutes and fix it.

Is it a ChatGPT outage?

  1. Check this page's status banner at the top — it pulls from OpenAI's status API in real time.
  2. Go to status.openai.com directly to see if an incident is reported.
  3. Check r/ChatGPT on Reddit — users report issues there faster than OpenAI's status page updates.
  4. If the status says "Operational" but ChatGPT isn't working for you, the problem is local.

If it's an outage

During confirmed outages: the only option is to wait. OpenAI does not have a workaround for service outages. You can: use Claude (claude.ai), Gemini (gemini.google.com), or Perplexity (perplexity.ai) as temporary alternatives, or check status.openai.com for estimated resolution time. Outages are usually resolved within 1–3 hours.

Diagnosing a local issue

  1. Hard refresh: press Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac).
  2. Try an incognito/private browser window — this rules out extension conflicts and cache issues.
  3. Try a different browser entirely.
  4. Disable your VPN if you're using one — OpenAI blocks some VPN IP ranges.
  5. Clear your browser cache and cookies for chat.openai.com.
  6. Try on mobile data instead of WiFi — rules out network/firewall issues.

Common error messages and what they mean

"An error occurred" — usually a temporary server hiccup. Wait 30 seconds and try again.

"ChatGPT is at capacity right now" — high demand. Try again in a few minutes or upgrade to Plus for priority access.

"Network error" — your connection dropped mid-response. Check your internet and try again.

"Something went wrong" — catch-all error. Hard refresh first. If persistent, clear cache and cookies.

"You've reached your usage limit" — hit your message cap. Wait until the next hour (Plus) or next month (free tier) or upgrade your plan.

Frequently asked questions

Why is ChatGPT so slow today?

ChatGPT slows down during peak usage hours (typically 12pm–4pm EST and 7pm–11pm EST). Plus subscribers get priority access. Server-side slowdowns are separate from outages and may not show on status.openai.com.

ChatGPT keeps stopping mid-response — what's wrong?

This is usually a network timeout or a response length issue. Try asking for shorter responses, use a more stable internet connection, or switch from WiFi to ethernet.

ChatGPT says my account doesn't exist — what happened?

Try logging in at auth.openai.com directly. If that fails, use the password reset flow. If you signed up with Google or Apple, use that method specifically — not email/password.

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