“Something went wrong” is ChatGPT’s general error for a temporary server issue or a problem with your setup. OpenAI’s troubleshooting guide says the message “may indicate a temporary server issue or a problem with your local setup”, so when ChatGPT says something went wrong, the fix is to check both sides: first whether OpenAI is having trouble, then your browser, extensions and network.

The message shows up in two places. In a chat, it replaces a reply or stops the page from loading. On the sign-in screen, it appears as “Something went wrong” or “Oops…” while you log in. The steps differ a little, so both are covered below.

On this page

Fix “Something went wrong” in a chat

These are OpenAI’s steps for this message, in the order that saves the most time:

  1. Refresh the page or start a new chat. A reload fixes most one-off failures. If the error appeared in a long conversation, open a new chat and paste your last prompt.
  2. Check status.openai.com for known outages. During an incident there is nothing to fix on your side.
  3. Clear your browser cache and cookies for ChatGPT, then sign in again.
  4. Use an incognito or private window. It loads ChatGPT without most extensions and without saved site data.
  5. Disable browser extensions, “especially privacy or security tools”, in OpenAI’s words. Ad blockers and script blockers are the usual suspects.
  6. Turn off VPNs or secure DNS tools such as Web Protect.
  7. Switch to a different network if you can, for example from office Wi-Fi to your phone’s hotspot.

If none of this helps and the error appears on every browser, device and network you try, contact OpenAI Support with a HAR file of the error (see the last section).

Fix “Something went wrong” when logging in

For sign-in errors, OpenAI’s login help article gives a slightly different list for “Something went wrong” or “Oops…”:

  1. Wait at least 60 seconds, then try again.
  2. Check status.openai.com for an active service issue.
  3. If no outage is reported, clear your cache and cookies.
  4. Try an incognito window.
  5. Log in from a different device, network or browser.
  6. Disable browser extensions temporarily.

Two login problems look similar but have their own fixes. If you signed up with “Continue with Google”, “Continue with Microsoft” or “Continue with Apple”, you must keep using that same method, or you will see “Wrong authentication method” or “There is already a user with email…” errors. If the page loops on “Checking your browser…”, OpenAI says to disable VPNs and proxies, turn off ad and script blockers, and allow cookies and JavaScript for chatgpt.com, openai.com and auth.openai.com.

What causes it

OpenAI sorts ChatGPT errors into three groups: “network configuration, browser extensions, or transient server-side problems”. “Something went wrong” can come from any of them:

  • Server-side problems are temporary and usually show on the status page.
  • Extensions that block scripts, ads or trackers can stop parts of the page from loading.
  • Network tools such as VPNs, proxies, secure DNS and company firewalls can block the domains ChatGPT needs. OpenAI’s network recommendations list those domains for IT teams and ask that WebSocket traffic over TCP port 443 be allowed.
  • Old site data in the browser can conflict with a new version of the app, which is why clearing cache and cookies is on both lists.

A quick test from OpenAI’s network article: if the error only happens on your company Wi-Fi and goes away on a mobile hotspot, the network is the cause, and your IT team needs to allow ChatGPT’s domains.

When to contact Support

If the steps above fail, OpenAI asks you to record a HAR file while you reproduce the error, then contact Support through the chat widget at help.openai.com. Add the browser console errors with timestamps, the model you were using and the conversation URL.