If ChatGPT shows “Something went wrong,” “Network error,” your messages won’t send, or it keeps spinning, it usually doesn’t mean “the model is broken.” It’s more often a combination of three types of issues: network, browser cache, and account session. Below is an actionable troubleshooting roadmap, ordered from fastest to slowest, to help you pinpoint the cause step by step and get back to normal.
First determine whether it’s a server-side issue: avoid wasting effort
First, open status.openai.com to see whether ChatGPT is experiencing a widespread outage or API instability. If the status page is reporting an Incident, clearing your local cache is unlikely to fix it immediately. Next, quickly validate by switching to a different network or device: if the same account works on mobile data but not on your company Wi‑Fi, that essentially confirms it’s a network-side issue. If all networks are unstable, go back to the status page to confirm whether there’s still ongoing fluctuation.
Most common on the browser side: cache, extensions, and login-state conflicts
If the ChatGPT web app errors frequently, first try logging in with an incognito/private window. If it works there, it indicates the issue is caused by cookies or an extension. Then clear site data for chat.openai.com (cookies and cache) and log in again—many “endless spinning” or “conversations won’t load” problems disappear immediately. If you have ad blockers, script managers, or privacy/anti-tracking extensions installed, temporarily disable them and try again, because they may block requests that ChatGPT needs.
Network-side troubleshooting: proxy, DNS, and corporate network blocking
When ChatGPT shows “Network error” or disconnects halfway through a reply, a common cause is an unstable proxy or a connection being reset midstream. Try switching nodes/protocols, or disable the proxy entirely to test whether it recovers. DNS issues can also cause intermittent access failures; try switching to a more reliable public DNS and retry. On corporate/campus networks, gateway blocking or TLS inspection may be in place—the fastest way to verify is to switch to a phone hotspot and see whether ChatGPT immediately works normally.
Account and session issues: repeated logouts, login loops, and permission prompts
If ChatGPT frequently says your session expired or repeatedly asks you to log in, it’s usually because the browser is blocking third-party cookies, the system time is inaccurate, or your account session has been refreshed. First sync your system time and allow site cookies, then log in again. If you see messages like “access restricted” or “insufficient permissions,” confirm you’re signed into the correct account and whether frequent switching across devices has triggered additional security checks. After doing this, refresh the page instead of repeatedly starting new chats, to avoid amplifying an error state.
Still not resolved: how to collect evidence to shorten diagnosis time
If ChatGPT still errors, write down these four items—“time of occurrence, network environment (Wi‑Fi/mobile data/proxy), browser type, whether it works in incognito”—and add a screenshot of the error. This can significantly improve troubleshooting efficiency. On the web, you can also open the browser’s developer tools to see whether there are obvious failed requests, but don’t publicly share logs that contain account information. Finally, return to status.openai.com to confirm whether service has recovered; many “works sometimes, fails sometimes” ChatGPT errors are fundamentally short-term fluctuations.
