ChatGPT Status: How to Check If ChatGPT Is Down Right Now (2026)
Updated June 2026 · 8 min read · API Status Check
Quick Answer
Check ChatGPT status at status.openai.com (official) or apistatuscheck.com/is-chatgpt-down for independent real-time monitoring. If the status page shows green but ChatGPT isn't working for you, scroll down — it may be a local issue.
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The Official ChatGPT Status Page (status.openai.com)
OpenAI maintains an official status page at status.openai.com. This is your first stop when ChatGPT isn't working. The page covers:
- ChatGPT — the consumer web app at chat.openai.com
- API — the OpenAI API used by developers and third-party apps
- ChatGPT.com — the standalone domain for ChatGPT
- Playground — the developer testing interface
- Sora — OpenAI's video generation model
- ChatGPT Voice — the voice conversation feature
What Each Status Color Means
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Try Better Stack Free →ChatGPT Status vs ChatGPT API Status: Key Difference
Many people search for "ChatGPT status" when they actually mean two different things. Here's the distinction:
ChatGPT Web App Status
The consumer chat interface at chat.openai.com or chatgpt.com. This is what regular users access.
- • Signs of issues: can't log in, conversations not loading, error messages
- • Check: status.openai.com → ChatGPT row
- • Also check: apistatuscheck.com/is-chatgpt-down
OpenAI API Status
The developer API at api.openai.com. Used by apps built on ChatGPT (plugins, integrations, AI products).
- • Signs of issues: HTTP 5xx errors, timeouts, authentication failures
- • Check: status.openai.com → API row
- • Also check: apistatuscheck.com/api/openai
Important: These can fail independently. The ChatGPT web app can be down while the API works fine for developers, and vice versa. If you're a developer and ChatGPT.com is down but your app is working — that's normal.
5 Ways to Check ChatGPT Status Right Now
Official OpenAI Status Page
Visit status.openai.com for the authoritative source. Subscribe to status updates via email, Slack webhook, or RSS. This is updated by OpenAI's SRE team during incidents — usually with a 5-15 minute lag.
status.openai.com →API Status Check (Independent Monitor)
apistatuscheck.com independently pings ChatGPT endpoints and shows real latency data. Unlike status.openai.com which OpenAI controls, this gives you unbiased uptime data and a 90-day outage history.
Check live ChatGPT status →Downdetector
downdetector.com aggregates user-reported problems in real time. Useful for confirming an outage is widespread before the official page updates. Tends to lag 5-10 minutes behind actual incidents.
downdetector.com/status/chatgpt →X/Twitter Search
Search "ChatGPT down" or "#ChatGPTdown" on X. Real users report problems in real time — often the fastest signal of a new outage, before any status page updates.
Search X for "chatgpt down" →Try a Direct API Test
If you have an API key, run a simple curl command: curl https://api.openai.com/v1/models -H "Authorization: Bearer $OPENAI_API_KEY". A 200 response means the API is up. A 5xx means it's down.
curl https://api.openai.com/v1/models -H "Authorization: Bearer $OPENAI_API_KEY"ChatGPT Outage History: What the Data Shows
Based on historical incident data from status.openai.com and independent monitoring:
The full incident history is available at status.openai.com/history. Note that OpenAI's status page may not capture all degradations — independent monitoring from APIStatusCheck shows the complete picture including short spikes that don't trigger official incidents.
Why Is ChatGPT Status Important for Developers?
If you're building on the OpenAI API, ChatGPT status directly affects your users. Here's what to watch for:
Error Code Mapping
429Rate limit hit — not an outage, just slow down your requests500Internal server error — retry with exponential backoff502/503Bad gateway/service unavailable — likely an outage, check status.openai.com524Cloudflare timeout — OpenAI's servers took too long to respondSetting Up Status Monitoring
- Subscribe to email updates at status.openai.com (free)
- Set up a Better Stack monitor for api.openai.com with a test prompt
- Add a fallback to Claude or Gemini for business-critical paths
- Implement exponential backoff: 1s → 2s → 4s → 8s → 60s cap
Monitor ChatGPT status automatically
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Try Better Stack Free →What to Do When ChatGPT Is Down
For ChatGPT Users
- Confirm it's not just you: check status.openai.com
- Try refreshing — many "outages" are temporary capacity spikes
- Switch to Claude, Gemini, or Perplexity temporarily
- Follow @OpenAIStatus on X for real-time updates
- ChatGPT Plus users get priority access — consider upgrading
For Developers
- Check status.openai.com before blaming your code
- Implement retries with exponential backoff
- Route around the outage with a fallback model (Anthropic, Gemini)
- Alert your team via your status monitor (not just the status page)
- Post a status update to your own users if impact is significant
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the official ChatGPT status page?
The official ChatGPT status page is status.openai.com. It shows real-time status for ChatGPT, the OpenAI API, Playground, and Sora. You can subscribe for email/Slack notifications from this page.
What does "degraded performance" mean on the ChatGPT status page?
Degraded performance means ChatGPT is operational but running below normal speed or reliability. You may get slower responses, occasional errors, or timeouts. It's not fully down, but performance is noticeably worse. Most degraded performance incidents resolve within 15-60 minutes.
Is ChatGPT server status different from ChatGPT API status?
Yes — ChatGPT server status refers to the web interface at chat.openai.com (what consumers use). ChatGPT API status refers to api.openai.com (what developers use). They can fail independently. The status.openai.com page shows both as separate rows.
How often does ChatGPT go down?
ChatGPT experiences 2-4 notable incidents per month, most lasting under an hour. Full major outages (complete unavailability) are rare — a few times per year. Historical data is at status.openai.com/history.
How do I get alerts when ChatGPT goes down?
Subscribe at status.openai.com, follow @OpenAIStatus on X, or use API Status Check Alert Pro for sub-60-second notifications via email or Slack. Developers can use Better Stack or Datadog to create synthetic monitors against the OpenAI API.
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