1) Confirm whether it’s a global issue
- Open status.openai.com and check for incidents under ChatGPT.
- If there’s an incident: wait a few minutes and try again.
2) Try the basics (fixes many cases)
- Refresh the page
- Start a new chat
- Log out and log back in
3) Isolate the cause (browser vs network)
Try a private window
If it works in private mode, the cause is usually:
- an extension
- cache/cookies
- browser settings
Disable extensions
Especially:
- ad blockers
- privacy/security extensions
- script blockers
Disable VPN/proxy/“secure DNS”
VPNs, proxies, and some security filters can break websocket connections and trigger network errors.
Switch networks
- Wi‑Fi ↔ 4G/5G
- a different Wi‑Fi network
4) Common errors and what to do
“Something went wrong.”
- Check status
- Clear cache/cookies
- Try a private window
- Disable extensions
“A network error occurred.” / websocket error
- Disable VPN/proxy
- Switch networks
- Try another browser
“Unusual activity detected”
- Disable VPN/proxy
- Restart your browser
- Switch networks (different IP)
- If you suspect compromise, change your password
5) If nothing works
Collect:
- time of the error
- exact message shown
- a screenshot
- whether it happens on other networks/devices
Then contact support via the Help Center.