Is OpenAI down right now?
How to tell if OpenAI is down
When ChatGPT stops responding or the OpenAI API starts returning errors, the first step is figuring out whether the problem is on OpenAI's side or yours. The easiest way is to run an external check from a server that isn't on your local network. That's what the tool above does — it tests OpenAI's status page from our infrastructure and reports the result in plain English.
If the checker shows a healthy response with a fast TTFB, OpenAI is up and the problem is likely something between you and their servers: your DNS resolver, a corporate proxy, or a regional routing issue. If the checker shows a timeout or 5xx error, OpenAI is genuinely struggling.
Common causes of OpenAI outages
OpenAI outages typically fall into a few categories. Understanding them helps you react faster and communicate clearly with your team.
- Capacity overload — during product launches or viral moments, OpenAI's GPU clusters can hit their limits. This usually causes elevated latency and HTTP 429 (rate limit) or 503 (service unavailable) errors.
- Infrastructure incidents — issues in OpenAI's cloud providers (Azure) or internal systems. These show up on status.openai.com within minutes.
- DNS or routing problems — occasionally, DNS propagation delays or BGP routing changes can make OpenAI unreachable from certain networks. If you can't resolve api.openai.com but others can, this is likely the cause.
- Scheduled maintenance — OpenAI occasionally performs maintenance that can cause brief interruptions. These are usually announced in advance on the status page.
What to check: DNS, TLS, and timeouts
When you suspect OpenAI is down, work through the network stack systematically. Each layer can fail independently, and knowing which one failed tells you exactly where the problem is.
DNS resolution is the first step. If api.openai.com doesn't resolve to an IP address, nothing else will work. This can happen if your DNS server is down or if OpenAI's DNS records are misconfigured. The checker above tests this automatically.
TLS handshake comes next. A TLS failure means the connection was established but the secure channel couldn't be set up. This can indicate certificate expiry, a proxy intercepting traffic, or a CDN issue. For a deeper dive, see our guide on API timeout vs DNS error.
HTTP response is the final layer. If DNS and TLS succeed but you get a 500 or 503 status, the server itself is having trouble. A timeout at this stage (where the connection was made but no response arrived) usually indicates server-side overload.
What to do when OpenAI is down
Once you've confirmed an outage, there are practical steps you can take right away. Don't just wait — prepare your systems and communicate with your users.
- Check the status page — visit status.openai.com for real-time incident updates and estimated resolution times.
- Implement retry logic — if you haven't already, add exponential backoff to your API calls. Start with a 1-second delay and double it on each retry, capping at 30 seconds.
- Show a fallback — let your users know the AI feature is temporarily unavailable rather than showing a cryptic error.
- Monitor recovery — use this tool or subscribe to status.openai.com updates to know the moment service is restored.
For a step-by-step walkthrough of how to diagnose any API failure, see our guide to checking if an API is down.
Quick diagnosis checklist
- Check status.openai.com for reported incidents
- Run a DNS lookup for api.openai.com to rule out DNS failures
- Verify your TLS handshake completes (rules out certificate or proxy issues)
- Test the HTTP response — a 5xx status means OpenAI's servers are struggling
- Check your own network: try a different Wi-Fi or use a VPN
- Look at response times — high TTFB means the server is slow, not down
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenAI down right now?
Use the checker above to test OpenAI's status page in real time. If the check fails from our servers, OpenAI is likely experiencing an outage. If it succeeds, the issue may be on your end.
Is ChatGPT down or is it just me?
ChatGPT runs on OpenAI's infrastructure. If our checker shows OpenAI's status page as reachable, ChatGPT's servers are likely up. The issue could be your network, browser cache, or a regional problem.
Where is the official OpenAI status page?
OpenAI publishes service status at status.openai.com. It shows current incidents, scheduled maintenance, and historical uptime for the API, ChatGPT, and other services.
Why does OpenAI's API return a timeout error?
Timeouts can happen when OpenAI's servers are overloaded, when there is a network issue between you and their data center, or when your request payload is unusually large. Check your DNS and TLS first to rule out local issues.
What should I do when OpenAI is down?
First, confirm the outage is real using an external checker. Then check OpenAI's official status page for incident updates. Consider implementing retry logic with exponential backoff in your application to handle transient failures gracefully.
How often does OpenAI experience outages?
OpenAI has periodic incidents, especially during high-traffic periods. Major outages are rare, but degraded performance and elevated error rates happen more frequently. Monitoring the status page and using health checks helps you stay informed.