WebChatGPT Not Working? Try These 7 Solutions to Fix It

WebChatGPT, as many have come to realize, can be a game-changer in the realm of AI-assisted chat experiences. But like all software, it’s not immune to occasional glitches or sudden interruptions. If you’ve been caught off-guard by its unexpected behavior, understanding the possible hitches and their remedies can make your experience smoother.

In this guide, we’ll shed light on the intricacies of WebChatGPT, its challenges, and the tried-and-true solutions to get it up and running seamlessly.

What is WebChatGPT?

WebChatGPT is an extension available for Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers, designed to link the latest web results to the responses generated by OpenAI‘s AI chatbot, ChatGPT. ChatGPT has been trained and fed with knowledge relating to nearly everything only up until September 2021, therefore, it cannot be a credible source of information for anything beyond that date.

WebChatGPT aims to alleviate this shortcoming by linking the latest search results from the web when you inquire about something on ChatGPT. This helps you get reliable information about recent events as, thanks to the AI, irrelevant results are filtered out. It also makes use of other AI models such as Claude, Bard and Bing AI to improve the quality of the results displayed.

Furthermore, WebChatGPT provides a prompt library that has stored frequently asked questions, while also allowing you to create custom prompt templates and save them. It provides an entire prompt management library so that you can manage your own prompts along with the more popular ones.

Read More: 7 Ways to Fix ChatGPT Failed to Get Service Status

Reasons Why WebChatGPT May Not Be Working

Here’s a list of the most common issues that prevent WebChatGPT from functioning properly:

1. Server Issues – Overloaded due to ChatGPT’s large user base or potential server maintenance.
2. Network Issues – Impacted by slow/unstable internet or VPN interference.
3. Compatibility Issues – Doesn’t support all browsers, primarily designed for Chrome.
4. Outdated Extension – An out of date extension can cause hiccups, especially if not in sync with browser updates.
5. Outdated Browser – Older browser versions might not be compatible with recent extension updates.
6. Conflicting Extensions – Other extensions, particularly related to ChatGPT, might cause conflicts.
7. Corrupted Extension Files – Issues like faulty updates can corrupt the extension.

Solutions

Now that we’re done with diagnosing the possible problems, it’s time to move on to the solutions.

1. Check your Internet connection and disable any VPNs that may be running

First of all, you should check whether you Internet is indeed functioning properly. Perform a speed test to make sure you’re getting the best speed. If you’re using a VPN, you need to disable it as that can greatly affect your network speed.

Read More: How to Increase Internet Speed in Windows 10/11?

2. Check ChatGPT’s server status

If ChatGPT’s server is down for maintenance, is facing heavy traffic, or has crashed altogether, it may fail to load, even if you have a fast Internet connection. You can check the status of the site through various websites like downdetector.com or you can OpenAI’s own tool for this purpose.

3. Use a different browser

If you’re using WebChatGPT on another browser, we recommend switching to Chrome as not all browsers are supported by WebChatGPT. We have also published a ranked list of the best web browsers for every kind of user that you can check out for recommendations, even if you have a low-end device.

4. Updating your extension

Update the WebChatGPT extension to ensure the best possible experience. WebChatGPT can be installed through its GitHub repository or the Chrome Web Store. However, recently the developers have announced that the GitHub repository will no longer be updated. Here’s how to update your extensions on Chrome:

1. On Chrome, click on the 3 vertical dots near the top-right of the screen to open a drop-down menu.
   

   

2. From the drop-down menu, hover your cursor on the Extensions option.
   

   

3. Consequently, another drop-down menu will open up. Select Manage Extensions.
   

   

4. On the Extensions tab, look to the top-right and switch on Developer Mode.
   

   

5. New options will be made available to you. Click on Update to check for updates for all your installed extensions. If an update is found, it will downloaded and installed automatically.
   

   

5. Update your browser

Older browser versions may not be supported by newer updates of the extension. Therefore, to ensure an optimal performance, you should keep your browser on the latest version. Here’s how to check for updates for Chrome:

1. On Chrome, click on the 3 vertical dots near the top-right of the screen to open a drop-down menu.
   

   

2. From the drop-down menu, hover your cursor on the Help option.
   

   

3. Another drop-down menu will appear. Click on About Google Chrome.
   

   

4. A new tab will open up and begin automatically checking for updates for Chrome. If an update is available, the Relaunch option will appear. Click on it. Chrome will save your work and close in order to update. Once it has been updated, it will open up automatically and restore your tabs and work.
   

   

6. Turn off conflicting extensions

Sometimes, extensions will overlap and prevent each other from functioning properly. WebChatGPT is more likely to malfunction if you’ve installed other ChatGPT related extensions. To turn off extensions on Chrome, follow these steps:

1. On Chrome, click on the 3 vertical dots near the top-right of the screen to open a drop-down menu.
   

   

2. From the drop-down menu, hover your cursor on the Extensions option.
   

   

3. Consequently, another drop-down menu will open up. Select Manage extensions.
   

   

4. Switch off all extensions, or extensions that you believe to be causing the problem, by toggling the switch.
   

   

7. Re-installing WebChatGPT

If an update has gone wrong due to an incomplete download or an improper installation, it can corrupt the extension files. Hence, you’ll need to re-install the extension. To do this on Chrome, follow the instructions outlined below:

Uninstalling WebChatGPT

1. On Chrome, click on the 3 vertical dots near the top-right of the screen to open a drop-down menu.
   

   

2. From the drop-down menu, hover your cursor on the Extensions option.
   

   

3. Consequently, another drop-down menu will open up. Select Manage extensions.
   

   

4. Next, click on Remove to uninstall the extension.
   

   

5. A confirmation pop-up will appear on the top-right. Click on Remove to confirm the uninstall.
   

   

Installing WebChatGPT from the Chrome Web Store

1. Once the uninstallation process is complete, navigate to the Chrome Web Store to install WebChatGPT.
2. Click on Add to Chrome to install the extension.
   

   

3. A confirmation pop-up will appear near the top-center. Click on Add to Chrome to confirm the installation.
   

   

4. The extension will begin downloading and be installed automatically as soon as the download is completed.
   

   

Conclusion

WebChatGPT is a nifty tool that maximizes ChatGPT’s versatility. It is a great workaround to get the latest information and to get more relevant results when looking something up on the web. But since it is only an extension and not an official feature, errors are more likely to occur. That’s where this list of causes and solutions comes in; fix the problem and get back on track right away.