ChatGPT may not be working due to several common reasons, including server issues, high traffic, browser cache or cookie corruption, conflicting browser extensions, or network connection problems. Server outages or high demand on OpenAI's servers can cause temporary unavailability. Browser-related problems such as corrupted cache or interfering extensions can be fixed by clearing the cache, disabling extensions, or using incognito mode. Network issues like unstable or slow internet connections may also cause errors or loading failures. Sometimes, VPN usage can interfere with access as well. Checking OpenAI's status page and following troubleshooting steps like restarting the router, switching networks, or waiting for server recovery often resolve the problem. Recently, there was a search-related failure issue reported in early August 2025 after the GPT-5 launch, which affected functionality but has been mostly mitigated.
