How to Get Around “ChatGPT Is At Capacity” Message: Keep the Conversation Going

You’re not alone if you’re curious about OpenAI’s new generative AI Chatbot, ChatGPT. According to Statista, ChatGPT is so popular it got around 1 million users within 5 days of launching, making it one of the fastest-adopted digital services in recent times.

This popularity also comes with a downside — not everyone’s getting access to the service whenever they want. If you’ve seen the ChatGPT is at capacity error message, you know what I’m talking about. Even though Chat GPT gives you a nice little poem or message to go with its no-access letdown, it’s still a frustrating experience. Luckily for you, I’ve got some tips and workarounds when dealing with this issue.

Read on to find out how to fix the ChatGPT at capacity error message and why it’s happening in the first place.

Why is ChatGPT Not Working?

ChatGPT page with at capacity error message in black and white
As nice as that spontaneous rap song is, this is still an annoying page to see.

If you’re getting the ChatGPT is at capacity message, it usually means too many people are trying to access the chatbot right now, as the name suggests. OpenAI only has a limited number of servers running ChatGPT and these are expensive to maintain. This means it can only support a limited number of users per session. If ChatGPT is getting a high volume of traffic, it might also take longer to load answers or fail at loading them properly when you’re chatting.

Right now, OpenAI only has ChatGTP servers in the US, but the company is planning to expand to more countries in the near future. You should be able to use ChatGPT more reliably as the service expands. Until then, I’ve got some ways to fix the “ChatGPT at capacity” issue if you’re struggling to get in.

Can I Get Around the “ChatGPT Is At Capacity” Message?

You’ve created a new ChatGPT account and you’re ready to start chatting but ChatGPT’s page couldn’t load due to traffic congestion. That’s annoying, but I have some “ChatGPT at capacity” workarounds you can try. 

If you’re having trouble accessing ChatGPT at all, first make sure ChatGPT is available in your country. If it’s not, we’ve got some workarounds for that too.

Try these methods to fix the “ChatGPT at capacity” error:

1. Refresh the Page

If you feel like you don’t want to sit in the queue and wait, you can refresh the page instead. This usually reloads a fresh version of the page instead of only reloading the cached version. It also means you’ll be back at the end of the queue again — but that may be a good thing if the server suddenly gets an open spot at that moment.

2. Clear Your Cache

Sometimes refreshing the page doesn’t work and the website still loads a cached version of itself. This is especially likely if you’ve been stuck on the ChatGPT at capacity page for a while. 

To clear your cache, if you’re using Chrome on a computer, simply click on the 3 dots at the top right corner, select More tools, then select Clear browsing data. A new window will pop up, giving you options to delete several types of data, including cached data. Click the Clear data button when you’re ready. This process might look different depending on the device and browser you’re using.

3. Use a VPN

It’s possible your current location is interfering with your ability to access ChatGPT. A number of things could cause this, including poor network routing, OpenAI limiting connections from certain locations, your ISP making it difficult to access the service, or local network restrictions. A VPN can get around all of these issues as it encrypts your traffic, prevents people from spying on you, and gives you the option to choose a different virtual location.

If you want to fix the ChatGPT at capacity error, don’t go for a free VPN as that could make it worse. Free VPNs have limited server availability and slow speeds due to high volumes of traffic, which will just worsen the problem. They also sell your browsing data to make money. Instead, use a fast VPN with servers across the world.

Use CyberGhost VPN to unblock ChatGPT on any local network. Connect to a region where ChatGPT is accessible and continue boosting your productivity with AI.

4. Try Bing’s ChatGPT Integration

Microsoft has a strong multi-year partnership with OpenAI which gives Bill Gates’s company exclusive rights to integrate Chat GPT with its search engine, Bing. Bing’s integration with ChatGPT, called Bing Chat, is connected to the internet with Bing’s SafeSearch turned on — and no, you can’t turn it off. The upside is you won’t have to worry about waiting on overcrowded servers.

Bing Chat differs from ChatGPT, though. While both AI chatbots use language processing modules powered by OpenAI, Bing Chat takes a more task-based approach and is effective when you want to compare ideas or find information. ChatGPT, on the other hand, still reigns supreme when it comes to more creative answers and human-like chatting.

5. Try Using ChatGPT During Off-Peak Times

According to Similarweb, the largest portion of ChatGPT’s traffic comes from the US. If you want the best chance to access ChatGPT then avoid peak US usage hours which should be during business hours between 7 AM and 5 PM.

6. Use the Paid Version of ChatGPT

ChatGPT Plus users get preferential placement in the queue when ChatGPT’s servers are at capacity. If you’re using ChatGPT Plus, you should have more reliable access to the AI chatbot whenever you want. That said, some ChatGPT Plus users say they still experience connectivity issues despite having high-priority access.

ChatGPT Plus also comes with some extra features like faster response times when compiling results and early access to new ChatGPT updates.

7. Try a ChatGPT Alternative

If ChatGPT just isn’t working no matter what and you really need access to a chatbot quickly, you can try an alternative AI chatbot. While these aren’t quite the same, they can still be useful depending on what you’re trying to do. Google, for example, recently released Google Bard AI as a competitor to ChatGPT. 

Notion AI is another free service you can use to generate ideas, create various writing samples, and even edit content. If you’re willing to pay but want to try different AI programs, you could also try NovelAI for AI-assisted story writing and text-to-image synthesis or just simply chatting.

Does CyberGhost VPN Help You Connect to ChatGPT?

Yes, CyberGhost VPN can help improve your ChatGPT experience, but it’s not a guarantee. Using a VPN is one way you can work around the ChatGPT at capacity error. A VPN can help you get back into chatting with the bot while solving any connection issues that might cause your session to timeout because the server took too long to respond. 

When you connect to a VPN, it encrypts and reroutes your connection to a VPN server in a different location. This can disable interference on your connection and overcome bad DNS routing which slows your connection to ChatGPT’s servers. A VPN is also the only way to access ChatGPT if it’s not available in your country or blocked by your local Wi-Fi network.

CyberGhost VPN has a global network of servers, including the US where OpenAI’s servers are located. Use CyberGhost VPN to get access to blazing-fast speeds with VPN protocols designed to balance speed and security. Our strict No Logs policy and RAM-only servers ensure no one — not even us — will be snooping on your conversations with ChatGPT.

Strike Up A Conversation With ChatGPT

ChatGPT seems to be the latest big technological jump for humanity and not being able to use it whenever you want to is super annoying. While the free version won’t be available forever, you can find some workarounds to access it now and fix that frustrating at capacity message. Just follow my guide and chances are good you’ll be back to chatting away with the bot again.

TL;DR? Use a VPN for a possible quick fix for getting back into the service. CyberGhost VPN has servers in 11 locations across the US where OpenAI is based. Just pick a server, let CyberGhost VPN reroute your connection and say “hi” to your favorite AI chatbot. Download CyberGhost VPN and enjoy fast speeds and a secure and private connection to OpenAI’s servers.

FAQ

What does ChatGPT is at capacity right now mean?

When ChatGPT’s servers are experiencing high levels of traffic, it might show you the ChatGPT is at capacity error. This means a lot of people are trying to use the service at the same time and it doesn’t have space to let you in. Not all is lost, though! Check out my list of quick fixes to get back to chatting with the popular AI chatbot.

Why is ChatGPT always at full capacity?

It feels like ChatGPT is always at capacity because it’s extremely popular and it doesn’t have enough servers to accommodate all that traffic. It’s possible to find times when the service is experiencing lower levels of traffic by looking at its usage statistics. ChatGPT gets a lot of traffic from the US so it might be worthwhile to try using the app outside of peak American business hours.

What to do when a chatbot is at capacity?

If you’re trying to access ChatGPT and can’t get past the landing page, you can try waiting or refreshing the page to see if that solves the problem. If this doesn’t work, you can try using ChatGPT during off-peak hours or use either Bing Chat or ChatGPT Plus to try and skip the line.
If you can’t wait, you can try using CyberGhost VPN right now to get around the problem and access ChatGPT. Just subscribe to CyberGhost VPN, connect to a server in the US, and start chatting.

How many users are there in ChatGPT?

ChatGPT reportedly had over 100 million users in January 2023 and its user base is steadily growing. ChatGPT surpassed 1 million users in just 5 days when it was released in November 2022, making it one of the fastest growing digital services ever. Unfortunately this popularity comes with some downsides — namely, the chatbot is consistently at capacity. This means OpenAI’s servers are constantly bombarded with requests from users, making it hard to get in.

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Hello there! This article couldn’t be written much better!
Going through this article reminds me of my previous roommate!
He always kept preaching about this. I most certainly will forward this
information to him. Pretty sure he’s going to have
a great read. Thank you for sharing!

Reply

Hi Suzanne, glad to hear you’re enjoying our content! Hope your ex-roommate finds it helpful too.

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