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If you’re trying to open ChatGPT right now and getting stuck on a loading screen or an error message, you’re not the only one. On November 18, 2025, thousands of people across the globe reported trouble accessing OpenAI’s popular AI tool. This isn’t just a small glitch—it’s tied to a larger problem with Cloudflare, a key player in keeping the internet running smoothly. In this post, we’ll break down what caused the ChatGPT outage, which other sites got hit, and some practical steps you can take while waiting for things to get back to normal. We’ll also look at why these kinds of disruptions keep happening and how to spot them early.
ChatGPT went offline for many users starting around 6:48 a.m. ET on November 18, 2025. The main culprit? A major outage at Cloudflare, the company that powers security and speed for about 20% of all websites on the web. Cloudflare helps sites handle traffic, block hackers, and load pages faster. When it stumbles, everything connected to it can grind to a halt.
According to Cloudflare’s status page, the issue kicked off with “widespread 500 errors.” These are basically server hiccups that mean the site can’t process your request right now. Their dashboard and API—tools site owners use to manage things—also failed. The company spotted an unusual spike in traffic to one of their services around 11:20 a.m. GMT, which snowballed into the full outage. By midday, they had identified the problem and started rolling out fixes, but some users saw lingering errors.
OpenAI confirmed on their status page that the trouble stemmed from a third-party provider—pointing straight to Cloudflare— and it lasted over two hours for services like ChatGPT and their API. No word yet from OpenAI on compensation or deeper details, but they’ve been updating their page regularly.
This isn’t the first time Cloudflare has tripped up the web. Just last month, Amazon Web Services (AWS) had a day-long blackout that knocked out streaming, banking, and more. Before that, Microsoft’s Azure cloud service went down globally, hitting Office 365 and gaming platforms. These events show how linked our online world is—one weak link, and the chain breaks.
People started flooding outage trackers like Downdetector with complaints early in the morning. By 9 a.m. ET, ChatGPT topped the list, making up about 78% of OpenAI-related issues, followed by website access (18%) and API problems (4%). Common gripes included:
One user on Reddit described it as “typing a long query for work, and poof—gone. Back to square one.” Peaks hit around 3:34 a.m. ET with 38 reports (double the usual 15), and spikes continued throughout the day. By afternoon, reports dropped as fixes kicked in, but frustration lingered for those relying on it for daily tasks like writing emails or coding help.
For businesses, this hits harder. Freelancers using ChatGPT for content creation or developers testing AI integrations lost hours of productivity. It’s a reminder that free tools, while handy, aren’t bulletproof.
Cloudflare’s role is huge—they protect against DDoS attacks, speed up content delivery via CDNs (content delivery networks), and handle DNS (domain name system) lookups. When it fails, it’s like a traffic jam on the internet’s main highway. Hundreds of organizations depend on them, so the ripple effect was quick.
Downdetector showed over 11,000 reports for X (formerly Twitter) alone by 5 p.m. ET, with 62% app issues, 25% website problems, and 13% server connections failing. Users couldn’t scroll feeds, post photos, or load images. Spotify faced streaming glitches, Canva users got stuck on designs, and even fan sites like Archive of Our Own went dark.
Here’s a quick list of other sites hit hard:
| Site/Service | Main Issue Reported | Peak Reports (Downdetector) |
|---|---|---|
| X (Twitter) | Feed not loading, posting fails | 9,706 |
| Spotify | Streaming pauses, app crashes | High spike mid-morning |
| Canva | Design tools unresponsive | Several thousand |
| League of Legends | Login errors, game crashes | Widespread player complaints |
| Archive of Our Own | Site inaccessible | Crowdsourced reports |
| Grindr | App downtime | User logs on Downdetector |
Games like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail saw login woes too, turning player chats into outage vents. Even Downdetector itself flickered offline briefly, adding irony to the mix. Public services weren’t spared—New Jersey Transit riders checked delayed trains on error pages, and the U.S. energy regulator’s site blinked out.
Cloudflare’s statement captured the chaos: “Cloudflare is aware of, and investigating an issue which impacts multiple customers: Widespread 500 errors, Cloudflare Dashboard and API also failing. We are working to understand the full impact and mitigate this problem.” They noted their support portal was glitchy too, slowing help for affected sites. By evening, services like Access and WARP recovered, but full stability took time.
Outages like this aren’t random—they stem from how the modern web is built. Cloudflare uses a vast network of data centers to route data efficiently, but a single fault—like that traffic spike—can overload it. Add in scheduled maintenance (Cloudflare had some in Atlanta and Los Angeles that morning), and things escalate fast.
Past incidents give clues. In July 2024, a CrowdStrike update crashed Windows machines worldwide, grounding flights and halting hospitals. AWS’s October 2025 mess took down food delivery and finance apps for a full day. The pattern? Over-reliance on a few big providers. If your site uses one for everything—security, hosting, delivery—a single failure cascades.
For everyday users, this means planning ahead. Tools like multiple browsers or offline backups can save time. Businesses should diversify providers to avoid single points of failure.
A quick ChatGPT downtime might seem minor if you’re just brainstorming ideas. But for others, it’s a productivity killer. Students prepping essays lost momentum; marketers couldn’t generate ad copy on the fly. One report noted freelancers billing by the hour felt the pinch most, with some switching to pen and paper mid-project.
On a bigger scale, e-commerce sites using Cloudflare saw carts abandon as checkouts failed. Gaming communities paused raids in League of Legends, and transit apps left commuters guessing on delays. Spotify listeners jumped to downloads, but many couldn’t even access those.
The financial hit? Cloudflare’s stock dropped over 5% in premarket trading, signaling investor worries. For users, it’s lost time—estimated at millions of hours globally during peaks.
While waiting for fixes, here’s what works:
These tricks minimize downtime and keep your workflow moving.
Events like today’s outage push companies to improve. Cloudflare is already tweaking their setup to handle spikes better, and OpenAI might rethink third-party dependencies. For us, it means pushing for transparency—faster alerts and backups.
As AI tools like ChatGPT become daily essentials, expect more scrutiny on their stability. Regulators could step in, requiring redundancy standards, much like airlines plan for engine failures.
Dealing with outages can disrupt your day, but you don’t have to face tech troubles alone. At Flutebyte Technologies, we specialize in building resilient IT setups that keep your operations running, even when the big players falter. Whether it’s diversifying your cloud providers or setting up custom backups for AI workflows, our team can help. Contact us today at flutebyte.com for a free consultation and get back to focusing on what matters—your success.
As of late November 18, 2025, most users can access ChatGPT again after Cloudflare’s fixes. Check OpenAI’s status page for the latest.
Cloudflare powers security and speed for millions of sites. A problem there blocks traffic, hitting everything from social media to games.
It started around 6:48 a.m. ET and lasted over two hours for many, with some spots lingering into the afternoon.
OpenAI hasn’t announced any yet, but they’ve acknowledged the issue. Keep an eye on their updates for news.
Use multiple tools (like backup AI apps), monitor status sites, and consider professional IT advice for stronger setups.
