If ChatGPT is not loading, responding slowly, or showing errors, first check OpenAI’s official status page, then compare it with user-report trackers and your own browser or app tests. A real ChatGPT outage usually affects many users at once and appears as an incident, degraded performance, elevated errors, or a partial outage. If the official page is clear, the problem is often local: a stale session, browser extension, VPN, blocked WebSocket connection, mobile app issue, or account login problem. This guide explains how to tell the difference quickly and what to try before you wait for OpenAI to fix something you can fix yourself.
Quick answer
ChatGPT is down for you if you cannot load chats, send messages, receive responses, log in, upload files, use voice, or access a specific model. ChatGPT is down more broadly when OpenAI lists an incident for ChatGPT, reports elevated errors, or shows degraded performance on its status page. OpenAI says its status page contains current and historic uptime details and is updated to reflect the latest state of its operational systems.[4]
Use this order: check OpenAI Status, check OpenAI History, compare user reports, then test your own browser, app, network, and account. The official page is the best source for confirmed incidents, but it can lag behind user reports during a fast-moving outage. OpenAI’s status page also notes that availability metrics are reported at an aggregate level across tiers, models, and error types, so your individual experience can differ from the headline status.[1]
If you want a dated incident record, use our ChatGPT outage history. If you want this year’s timeline, see the 2026 outage tracker.
How to check ChatGPT status
Start with the official source. OpenAI Status separates ChatGPT from other OpenAI services such as APIs, Codex, FedRAMP, and related components. The page shows active incidents near the top and links to incident history.[1] If ChatGPT is listed as affected, stop clearing your cache and wait for recovery updates.
- Step 1: Check OpenAI Status. Look for active incidents that mention ChatGPT, conversations, login, file uploads, voice, images, or specific models.
- Step 2: Open the history page. Recent entries can show whether an issue was resolved minutes ago or is still being monitored.[2]
- Step 3: Compare user-report trackers. Downdetector shows where user reports are concentrated over the past 24 hours and says it reports an incident only when reports rise significantly above the normal volume for that time of day.[5]
- Step 4: Test another path. Try the web app, mobile app, desktop app, a different browser, or a mobile hotspot. If only one path fails, the whole service is probably not down.
This sequence matters because ChatGPT problems often look the same at first. A blank page, a spinning response, and a “something went wrong” banner can come from OpenAI infrastructure, your browser profile, your corporate network, or a VPN route. The fastest check is not the most technical check. It is the check that divides “everyone is affected” from “only my setup is affected.”
What OpenAI status terms mean
Status pages use broad labels. They are useful, but they do not always map perfectly to what one user sees. A partial outage can affect one feature, one region, one plan type, one model, or one surface such as the browser app. A degraded-performance notice can mean ChatGPT loads but feels slow. Elevated errors can mean some prompts fail while others work.
| Status signal | What it usually means | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
| Operational | No confirmed broad issue is listed. | Test browser, app, VPN, cookies, extensions, and network. |
| Degraded performance | ChatGPT may work, but responses, login, uploads, or tools may be slow. | Save work locally, retry later, and avoid repeated refresh loops. |
| Elevated errors | Some requests are failing more than usual. | Retry after a pause and start a new chat if one thread is stuck. |
| Partial outage | A subset of ChatGPT users or features is affected. | Check whether your exact feature is named in the incident. |
| Resolved | OpenAI says impacted services have recovered. | Reload, sign out and back in, then retry the original action. |
OpenAI’s history page is important because it shows feature-level incidents, not just broad platform status. Recent examples in the history feed include access problems, login errors, conversation errors, file upload failures, file download failures, and VPN access issues.[2] Those are different problems with different fixes.
How to tell an outage from a local problem
Treat it as a likely outage when OpenAI lists an active ChatGPT incident, Downdetector-style reports spike at the same time, and the same error appears on multiple devices or networks. Treat it as a likely local problem when ChatGPT works in one browser but not another, works on mobile data but not Wi-Fi, works in the app but not the browser, or works after you disable a VPN.
OpenAI’s own troubleshooting guidance names network configuration, browser extensions, and transient server-side problems as possible causes of ChatGPT errors.[3] That is why a single error message rarely proves that ChatGPT is down. You need at least two signals: a service-side signal and a user-side test.
| Symptom | More likely outage | More likely local issue |
|---|---|---|
| Blank ChatGPT page | Many users report the same blank screen at once. | Only one browser profile fails. |
| Login loop | OpenAI lists login or authentication errors. | Incognito mode or another browser works. |
| Slow responses | OpenAI lists degraded performance or elevated latency. | Only long conversations are slow. |
| Network error | Multiple networks fail at the same time. | VPN, proxy, secure DNS, or firewall is active. |
| File upload failure | OpenAI history names file uploads or downloads. | Only one file type, browser, or conversation fails. |
If file uploads are the only feature failing, use our ChatGPT file upload troubleshooting guide. If generated files or analysis sessions expire, see how to fix a Code Interpreter session expired message.
Common errors and what they usually mean
Several ChatGPT errors appear during outages, but the same errors can appear when your local session breaks. Use the table below as a triage guide, not as a final diagnosis.
| Error or symptom | Likely cause | Best next step |
|---|---|---|
| “Something went wrong.” | Temporary server issue or local setup issue. | Refresh, start a new chat, check status, then clear cache and cookies.[3] |
| Network error | Unstable route to OpenAI servers or WebSocket connection trouble. | Disable VPN or proxy, switch networks, or try another browser.[3] |
| Endless “Thinking” or “Generating” | Stuck response, long chat, browser issue, or service slowdown. | Wait 30–60 seconds, stop generating, regenerate, then start a new chat if needed.[3] |
| Blank screen or frozen page | Broken local session, extension conflict, or loading issue. | Hard refresh, sign out, clear site data, and open a private window.[3] |
| Download failed or file not found | Expired generated file, file-service problem, or feature configuration issue. | Regenerate the file and confirm the file is recent. OpenAI lists a 512 MB file size limit in its troubleshooting guide.[3] |
| Suspicious activity warning | Traffic resembles automated or unusual behavior. | Disable VPNs or proxies, restart the browser, and use a private window.[3] |
For dedicated error walkthroughs, use ChatGPT internal server error, ChatGPT Error 503 service unavailable, ChatGPT Error 500 internal server, ChatGPT Error 502 Bad Gateway, and ChatGPT Error 429 Too Many Requests.
What to fix first
If OpenAI Status does not show a matching incident, work from least destructive to most disruptive. Do not immediately delete everything or reinstall apps. Start with tests that preserve your session and narrow the cause.
- Refresh the page or restart the app. This fixes stale front-end state without changing settings.
- Start a new chat. A single conversation can fail while the rest of ChatGPT works.
- Open an incognito or private window. If it works there, suspect cookies, cache, or extensions.
- Disable extensions temporarily. Focus on ad blockers, privacy tools, script blockers, and security extensions.
- Turn off VPNs, proxies, and secure DNS tools. OpenAI specifically recommends disabling VPNs or proxies for several error types.[3]
- Switch networks. Try mobile hotspot, home Wi-Fi, office Wi-Fi, or another device.
- Clear site data only after testing. Clear ChatGPT site data if the problem follows one browser profile.
- Collect evidence before contacting support. OpenAI recommends HAR files, browser console errors, timestamps, the model used, and the conversation URL or ID when an issue persists across browsers, devices, and networks.[3]
App-specific problems need app-specific checks. If the mobile app fails while the browser works, use ChatGPT app not working fixes. If voice is the only broken feature, use ChatGPT voice mode troubleshooting. If image generation fails but normal chat works, use ChatGPT image generator not working.
When to stop troubleshooting and wait
Stop troubleshooting when the evidence points to OpenAI. If the status page names ChatGPT, user-report trackers spike, and the same failure appears across devices and networks, you will not fix it by clearing cookies again. Save any unsent text outside ChatGPT, avoid repeated upload attempts, and check the incident page for updates.
Also stop if a feature-specific incident matches your problem. For example, file upload incidents, login incidents, and conversation incidents may not affect every ChatGPT surface. A partial outage can leave one person working normally while another person cannot access a key workflow.
If the problem is not an outage, our focused guides cover common next steps: ChatGPT login failed, ChatGPT something went wrong error, ChatGPT network error, ChatGPT not working with VPN, and why ChatGPT is so slow.
There is one more distinction. Message caps and rate limits are not the same as outages. If ChatGPT says you are sending too many requests or you have hit a plan limit, use ChatGPT too many requests in 1 hour or ChatGPT daily limit instead of waiting for a status incident.
Frequently asked questions
Is ChatGPT down right now?
Check OpenAI Status first. It is the official source for current and historic uptime details, and OpenAI says users can subscribe to status-change notifications from that page.[4] If the page does not show an issue, compare user reports and test another browser, device, or network.
Why does OpenAI Status say operational when ChatGPT does not work for me?
The status page reports availability at an aggregate level across tiers, models, and error types, and individual customer availability can vary by subscription tier, model, and feature.[1] Your account, browser, network, region, or a single feature can fail even when there is no broad confirmed outage.
Does Downdetector prove ChatGPT is down?
No. Downdetector is useful because it collects user reports and highlights unusual report volume, but user reports are not the same as an official incident. Downdetector says it reports an incident when reports are significantly higher than the normal volume for that time of day.[5]
What should I do if ChatGPT is stuck on generating?
OpenAI recommends waiting 30–60 seconds, clicking Stop generating, retrying with Regenerate, starting a new chat, hard refreshing, signing out and back in, and testing a private window or another network if the issue continues.[3] If OpenAI lists a matching degraded-performance incident, waiting is usually better than repeated retries.
Can a VPN make it look like ChatGPT is down?
Yes. OpenAI’s troubleshooting guidance repeatedly recommends disabling VPNs, proxies, secure DNS tools, or security filters when ChatGPT shows network, suspicious-activity, generation, or loading errors.[3] If ChatGPT works after you switch off the VPN or move to a mobile hotspot, the outage is probably not global.
Should I clear my cache every time ChatGPT fails?
No. Clear cache or site data after simpler tests, not before. First refresh, start a new chat, try incognito, and disable extensions. If the problem only affects one browser profile, clearing ChatGPT site data is a reasonable next step.