ChatGPT issues come in three flavors: service-side (OpenAI is having problems), account-side (something with your login or subscription), or device-side (your browser, network, or cache). Work through these in order — most issues resolve in under 5 minutes.
Page won't load or shows a blank screen
Spinner keeps spinning without generating a response
Error messages like 'Something went wrong' or '403 Forbidden'
Chat history missing or not loading
Streaming text stops mid-response
Unable to upload files or use Custom GPTs
OpenAI has periodic outages affecting ChatGPT globally. Check status.openai.com before spending time troubleshooting your own setup. Outages usually last 30 minutes to a few hours.
Stale cached data can cause loading problems, especially after OpenAI deploys updates. This is the #1 cause of 'suddenly stopped working' issues on specific browsers.
Ad blockers (especially aggressive ones like uBlock Origin), privacy extensions, and ChatGPT-specific extensions frequently break the ChatGPT interface after updates.
Some VPN services and corporate networks block ChatGPT's domains or trigger OpenAI's security checks, causing failed requests or 403 errors.
Expired payment methods, Terms of Service violations, rate limits, or account suspension can all cause ChatGPT to stop working for specific accounts.
Low RAM, too many browser tabs, or outdated browsers can cause ChatGPT to fail loading or time out mid-response. Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge, Brave) tend to work best.
When to try: First — before any other steps
Visit status.openai.com to see if OpenAI is reporting service issues. Also check downdetector.com for user-reported outages. If there's an active incident, wait for OpenAI to resolve it — no amount of local troubleshooting will help.
When to try: Before clearing cache
Press Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac) to force a hard refresh that bypasses cache. This fixes 40% of 'suddenly broken' issues after OpenAI deploys updates.
When to try: If hard refresh didn't work
In your browser settings, clear cookies and cached data specifically for chat.openai.com. On Chrome: Settings → Privacy → Cookies and site data → See all site data → search 'openai' → delete. Then sign in again.
When to try: To isolate extension conflicts
Open a new incognito window and log into ChatGPT. If it works in incognito but not your normal browser, a browser extension is the culprit. Disable extensions one by one to identify which.
When to try: If you use VPN or corporate network
Turn off VPN services and try again. If on corporate network, try from personal hotspot. Some networks block or rate-limit OpenAI domains. Use mobile data as a test to isolate network issues.
When to try: If errors specifically mention account or billing
Log into chat.openai.com in a fresh browser. If you see a suspension notice or payment error, address those first. Check email for OpenAI account notifications. If you recently cancelled Plus, that could be the issue.
When to try: To isolate device-specific issues
If ChatGPT works on your phone but not laptop (or vice versa), the issue is device-specific. Try Chrome if on Safari/Firefox — ChatGPT generally works best on Chromium browsers. This helps isolate whether the problem is account-wide or device-specific.
When to try: If nothing else works and only ChatGPT has issues (other sites fine)
On Windows: open cmd and run 'ipconfig /flushdns'. On Mac: open Terminal and run 'sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder'. This fixes rare DNS issues that can cause ChatGPT to be unreachable.
Bookmark status.openai.com — check here first before troubleshooting
Keep your browser updated — ChatGPT works best on recent Chrome, Edge, or Firefox
Disable ChatGPT-specific browser extensions unless you actively need them
Use a separate browser profile for ChatGPT if you rely on extensions in your main browser
Save important conversations regularly — cache clearing can lose in-progress work
Contact OpenAI support via help.openai.com if: (1) Your account shows a suspension that you believe is in error, (2) Payment issues persist after verifying your card, (3) You've tried all fixes and the issue affects only your account while status.openai.com shows everything operational. For general ChatGPT issues, support response times are measured in days — resolve via self-help whenever possible.
This generic error appears for several reasons: rate limiting (you're sending requests too fast), temporary server errors, context window overflow (conversation is too long), or problems with specific content in your message. Usually resolves by starting a new chat or waiting 30 seconds before retrying.
Yes. During high load periods (weekday afternoons in major markets), free users are throttled first. ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo) gets priority access, higher rate limits, and access during peak times. If you use ChatGPT for work, the $20/mo more than pays for the reliability improvement.
Three places in order: (1) status.openai.com — official status page, (2) downdetector.com/status/chatgpt — user-reported issues, (3) Twitter/X search for 'ChatGPT down' — often the fastest way to confirm outages since users post immediately. Official status pages lag real issues by 15-30 minutes sometimes.
Yes, frequently. Privacy extensions (uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger), ad blockers, and ChatGPT-enhancement extensions (chat export, prompt savers) all have a history of breaking ChatGPT after OpenAI deploys UI changes. When ChatGPT breaks after an update, extensions are the most likely culprit.