How to Fix the ChatGPT Internal Server Error

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ChatGPT took the internet by storm since it went live in late 2022. Reaching more than 100 million users in that time, it became the fastest application to reach that milestone. Being the most advanced AI chatbot to date, ChatGPT receives hundreds of millions of user requests every month. This has also led to many users facing the “Internal server error.” In this post, we uncover the reason behind this frustrating error and what you can do to fix it.

Tip: want to have a conversation with someone new? Here are the best Omegle alternatives to chat with strangers.

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Why Is the ChatGPT “Internal Server Error” So Common

ChatGPT’s website receives an enormous number of requests every day. This incessant traffic has started taking a toll on the ChatGPT servers and giving rise to the “Internal server error” and other issues. Besides server load, other common causes for the error can be traced to client-side browsers or conflicts from installed plugins or extensions. You can try the following fixes to solve the issue and resume a seamless ChatGPT experience.

1. Spam Refresh

If you’re facing this issue, first try refreshing the website and see if that gets rid of the “Internal server error.” This fix is known to work when you’ve been away from your computer for a long time, leaving the ChatGPT webpage inactive. Refreshing the page a few times can instantly resolve the issue and revert the chatbot to a working order.

Considering the simplicity of this fix, it makes sense to try this before attempting any other fix on this list.

2. Clear Browsing Data

Moving on to slightly more complex fixes, you can try clearing your browsing data. Cached browser data and cookies can often be behind common website performance issues. From properly loading websites to signing in to access-restricted sections, deleting your browsing data is a quick fix to resolving a variety of issues.

  1. Open your browser’s settings page.

  1. Navigate to the settings related to privacy and security. Depending on your browser the exact option might differ.

  1. Select “Clear browsing data” or a similarly named setting and choose the data you want to clear. Make sure that cached data and cookies are selected to be deleted. You can choose to delete or retain your browsing history. The date range should ideally be set to “All time.” Click “Clear data” to start the process.

  1. Once the process is finished, go back to the ChatGPT website and see if it’s working.

Tip: in case you’re using an Android device, refer to our article on clearing browsing data on your Android device.

3. Disable Plugins and Extensions

Plugins and extensions are extremely useful tools to speed up your browser or extend its functionality, especially the ones that block ads or help you with your grammar. But, they are also known to sometimes interfere with the normal functioning of certain websites. To ensure this isn’t the case with ChatGPT, you can try disabling extensions and plugins and check if the error still persists.

  1. Open your browser’s settings page and select “Extensions.”

  1. Click “Manage extensions” (or something similar, depending on your browser) to access all the installed extensions.

  1. Refresh the ChatGPT webpage after disabling each extension one at a time and see if the website starts working.

4. Log In Again

Sometimes, simply logging out and logging in again fixes the “Internal server error” on ChatGPT’s website. This fix works in the case of a session timeout or other login issues. By logging in again, you can refresh your session and resume working with ChatGPT.

You can log out of ChatGPT by clicking the “Log out” button on the bottom left of your screen. Then again with your ChatGPT account and check if then the issue is resolved.

Tip: want your conversations to be extra private? Learn how to send disappearing messages in popular chat apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and more.

5. Come Back Later

ChatGPT is known to suffer outages now and then due to the unprecedented demand it has generated. This means that sometimes, none of the fixes on the list would work if the website’s servers are experiencing downtime. In such cases, it’s best to take a break and come back to the site after a few hours. You’re likely to find the chatbot working again in some time.

OpenAI, the company behind the AI chatbot, has a dedicated status page where you can check the latest status of the ChatGPT servers. If the status page reports a downtime, then you can safely stop trying any other fixes and return to the website after a few hours.

Is ChatGPT still down? Try one of these ChatGPT alternatives while you’re waiting for it to come back.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I do if can’t I log in to ChatGPT?

ChatGPT login errors can be caused by various reasons. To maximize the chances of a successful login, ensure you’re using a compatible web browser, not using an extension to access the website, and not using a VPN. Extensions and VPNs can often interfere with logging in to ChatGPT.

Is there a ChatGPT mobile app?

As of now, there’s no official ChatGPT app for Android or iOS. There are some third-party applications that use the ChatGPT APIs to access the AI language model in a mobile app format. Besides these applications, you can always access ChatGPT through a web browser on your mobile phone. All you need is a compatible web browser, a ChatGPT account, and an internet connection.

Image credit: Unsplash. All screenshots by Tanveer Singh.

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Tanveer Singh

After a 7-year corporate stint, Tanveer found his love for writing and tech too much to resist. An MBA in Marketing and the owner of a PC building business, he writes on PC hardware, technology, video games, and Windows. When not scouring the web for ideas, he can be found building PCs, watching anime, or playing Smash Karts on his RTX 3080 (sigh).

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