OpenAI API error
OpenAI API 500 The server had an error while processing your request: what it means and how to fix it
500 The server had an error while processing your requestRetry? YesLast verified 2 documented fixes2 sources
What it means
An issue on OpenAI's servers. The Python library raises InternalServerError for >=500 responses.
Causes
- A temporary error, a bug, or a system outage on OpenAI's side
How to fix it
- Fix 1.
Retry your request after a brief wait and contact support if the issue persists.
- Fix 2.
Check the status page for ongoing incidents.
More OpenAI API errors
All 23 OpenAI API errors400 invalid_request_error (Invalid service_tier argument)Retry? Not stated401 Invalid AuthenticationRetry? Not stated401 Incorrect API key providedRetry? Not stated401 You must be a member of an organization to use the APIRetry? Not stated401 IP not authorizedRetry? Not stated403 Country, region, or territory not supportedRetry? Not stated429 credit_balance_exhaustedRetry? No429 Rate limit reached for requestsRetry? Yes
HTTP 500 at other providers
Compare 500 across providers500 InternalServerExceptionRetry? YesAmazon Bedrock500 api_errorRetry? YesAnthropic API500 Server ErrorRetry? YesAzure OpenAI500 Server ErrorRetry? Not statedCohere API500 - Server ErrorRetry? YesDeepSeek API500 api_errorRetry? YesGemini API500 INTERNALRetry? YesGemini API500 Internal Server ErrorRetry? YesGroq API500 Internal server errorRetry? YesMistral API500 serverRetry? Not statedOpenRouter500 unmappedRetry? Not statedOpenRouter500 UNKNOWN / INTERNALRetry? YesVertex AI
FAQ
What does the OpenAI API error "500 The server had an error while processing your request" mean?
An issue on OpenAI's servers. The Python library raises InternalServerError for >=500 responses.
How do I fix OpenAI API "500 The server had an error while processing your request"?
There are 2 documented fixes. Start with the first: Retry your request after a brief wait and contact support if the issue persists.
Should I retry OpenAI API "500 The server had an error while processing your request"?
Yes. The official docs treat this error as retryable.
Which other AI APIs return HTTP 500?
Per their official error docs: Amazon Bedrock (500 InternalServerException), Anthropic API (500 api_error), Azure OpenAI (500 Server Error), Cohere API (500 Server Error), DeepSeek API (500 - Server Error), Gemini API (500 api_error; 500 INTERNAL), Groq API (500 Internal Server Error), Mistral API (500 Internal server error), OpenRouter (500 server; 500 unmapped), Vertex AI (500 UNKNOWN / INTERNAL).
Sources
Last verified against 2 sources: OpenAI API's official docs and official SDK repositories.
- developers.openai.comhttps://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/error-codes
- github.comhttps://github.com/openai/openai-python/blob/main/README.md
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