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How to fix ChatGPT's "conversation not found" error

This error usually comes up when there is an interruption in the conversation or use of unsupported characters or formatting.
By

Published onJune 29, 2023

ChatGPT has taken the internet by storm. If you didn’t know already, you can use AI to write resumes, codeplay chess, and even become a DJ. All of this is possible when you use the correct prompts. But sometimes, ChatGPT throws up a “conversation not found” error, which can get in the way of you getting your work done by AI. What does this “conversation not found” error mean, though? And how can you fix it? We tell you in this article.

QUICK ANSWER

ChatGPT's "conversation not found" error can result from a gap in conversation, unsupported formatting or characters in the prompt, or server error due to high traffic.

To fix this error, you can clean up your prompt by removing references to older conversations and checking and removing any unsupported formatting or characters. If the error persists, please try again later.


JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS

Why is ChatGPT saying “conversation not found”?

ChatGPT stock photo 2
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

OpenAI has not mentioned any specific reason why ChatGPT throws a “conversation not found” error. We have possible reasons why the AI chatbot could be giving this error.

The first reason why ChatGPT could be giving the “conversation not found” error is when there is a gap in the conversation history. Your prompt could be referring to an earlier conversation, but ChatGPT may not be able to retrieve the previous message. This usually happens when there is a prolonged interruption in the conversation flow.

The second reason this error can appear is when your prompt may contain unsupported formatting. This usually happens when you’ve pasted your prompt from somewhere else instead of typing it directly into ChatGPT’s text input field. It could also occur if your prompt contains symbols ChatGPT may not recognize.

ChatGPT Conversation not found error 1
Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority

The third reason this error can show up is when there is high traffic and the servers are overwhelmed. OpenAI has vastly improved the capacity of ChatGPT and also provided a different error message called Internal server error for high traffic situations, so this reason is rare nowadays. But if you cannot explain the error from the first two possible reasons, this could also be the reason.

How to fix the “conversation not found” error on ChatGPT

chatgpt stock photo
Calvin Wankhede / Android Authority

Now that you know what the “conversation not found” error could mean, here’s how you can fix it.

First, ensure that you provide adequate context in your prompt. Avoid making references to very old conversations, and avoid making ambiguous references. Be very specific and direct in your writing prompt. This increases the chances of the AI model understanding your context clearly and lets it respond appropriately.

Next, ensure that there is message continuity if you are indeed referring to a prior conversation. If the flow of the discussion was interrupted, it would help if you provided a summary or recap of the prior conversation to help ChatGPT bridge the gap between the past and the present.

Wherever possible, try to keep your prompts clear yet concise. If parts of your prompt are superfluous and not really adding to the answer expected from the AI model, you should avoid adding such superficial details.

ChatGPT Conversation not found error 2
Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority

Next, ensure that you are not copy-pasting the prompt from another source. You need to pay attention to the formatting of the prompt to the extent that you are not entering unsupported characters. If you copy-pasted a conversation from elsewhere, the timestamps could also throw the AI model off, so consider cleaning that up. In general, please clean up the formatting of your prompt and ensure it is at least human-readable.

If you are still facing the “conversation” not found error, there’s a chance that the ChatGPT servers are down or overwhelmed at that moment. You can try again in a few minutes.

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