Imagine you're writing a report on the Middle Ages or need to submit 10 stages of a project within a day, and you discover that ChatGPT is down. But don't panic — let's figure out the cause and how to fix it.
Where to check if ChatGPT is Down
If you can't even access ChatGPT, check the server status here:
First, you should check the server status, and if it's still not working, contact support. So, let's check the chat status.
The best way is to check if ChatGPT is down is on DownDetector:
DownDetector collects user reports about malfunctions and displays them in real time. Users can immediately see if the issue is widespread or just affecting them.
Another useful resource is OpenAI Status page — the official update page for ChatGPT and shows all real-time issues. It also shows percentages of service degradation over certain time periods, as well as updates about ongoing technical issues and related works.
Finally, OpenAI X account is another convenient platform for monitoring outages and error information is X (formelye Twitter), particularly OpenAI’s official account.
What if all Three Platforms Say ChatGPT is Up?
Sometimes ChatGPT is down for you, but status tools report it operational — why is that? it could be due to high demand at that moment, as well as a few other reasons. The most popular reasons why your’e not able to access ChatGPT are:
High Load
During peak hours — from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Europe and the U.S. — the platform may simply struggle with traffic.
Unstable Internet Connection
Something as simple as no internet connection might manifest in various glitches — disappearing messages, lack of responses, and
Technical Maintenance
Perhaps the OpenAI team are rolling out a hot fix or implementing a micro-feature. These activities can cause ChatGPT to go offline for a short time.
Cache or Cookies Issue
There could be an issue with your browser's cache or cookies. The cache or cookies might be outdated or corrupted. To fix this, simply clear the cache or delete cookies.
Something in Your Browser Causing a Conflict
Browser integrations or extensions might also cause conflicts with web app functionality. Due to these conflicts, the platform might not load correctly.
Most of these causes can be eliminated by checking the server status — if users on DownDetector report interruptions, then it’s likely a global, or a regional issue.
But besides these problems, there’s one more thing that can cause ChatGPT to be down specifically for you — access restrictions.
What are ChatGPT Access Restrictions?
ChatGPT has free and paid versions. With the free version, you're more likely to face access restrictions during peak hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), when the platform experinces the biggest influx of users, during which it prioritizes paid subscribers — their Plus and Pro tiers.
To avoid this problem, you can:
- Get a paid subscription for higher priority.
- Use a VPN — though sometimes VPNs themselves might block access.
- Use the service outside of peak hours.
Consider a ChatGPT Alternative
Instead of waiting for the issues to get fixed, you might also try a different chatbot. Here are AI tools that can replace ChatGPT when it’s down:
- Overchat AI — an alternative for chatting. It handles questions and runs on GPT-4.1 and 4.5, among many other models.
- Google Gemini — a competing AI platform from, well, Google.
- Microsoft Copilot — for those working on Windows machines this AI is built-in.
Specific AI Tools to Use for Short Jobs
ChatGPT is a swiss army knife of an AI chatbot, but there are also projects aimed at solving specific tasks, which they often excel at, thanks to being specialized. When you need to solve a particular job, consider using one of them (most offer generous free tiers or trials):
- For composing music, AIVA or Amper Music are the best options.
- For content writing — use Hootsuite and Buffer for social media, and SMMRY and Resoomer for articles and documents, and Overchat AI Essay Writer for academic work.
- For emails, Grammarly and Mailmeteor have built-in editors.
- For math and homework, use Math AI.
- For coding, use Claude AI or DeepSeek V3.
You can also return to classic knowledge bases. Find answers on Google, Bing, and, for programming questions, GitHub and Stack Overflow. For non-technical topics, use Wikipedia.
For planning, you can use tools like Notion, Google Docs, and Microsoft Word. They're very convenient for drafting and taking notes, and you can import your work back into ChatGPT once the platform is back online.
Tips for using AI effectively
When ChatGPT isn't working, use this time to plan how to better integrate AI into your workflow.
For example, you can:
- Analyze data — learning how AI tools automate data processing and visualization.
- Learn about effective prompts for marketing and coding to improve AI-generated responses.
This way, you’ll be prepared for when the platform comes back online and can fully enjoy its benefits again.