Perplexity not working: fixes from its help center

Perplexity not working is usually one of four things: an outage, a Cloudflare check that won't clear, the wrong account, or a connector that lost its login. Perplexity's own help center covers each one. Start with the status page, then work down this list. Details are as of November 2, 2026.

Check if Perplexity is down first

Open status.perplexity.com. It lists four components: Website, App, Computer and API. On November 2 it said Perplexity was "not aware of any issues affecting our systems" and showed no recent incidents. You can subscribe to updates from the top of the page.

If the page is green, the problem is probably on your side. If it shows an incident, wait. The help center says problems like missing sessions, no response being generated, or slowness usually clear within 30 minutes to a few hours.

The three quick fixes

Perplexity's support article lists these before anything else:

1. Hard refresh the browser: Ctrl+F5 on Windows, Command+Shift+R on a Mac.
2. On a phone, check for an app update.
3. Turn off any VPN.

Try them in that order, and test Perplexity after each one. Most "not loading" reports end here.

Stuck on a loading or Cloudflare screen

Perplexity sits behind Cloudflare, which runs user checks to limit spam and abuse. Per the Cloudflare and VPNs article, you get checked more often when you use a VPN or proxy, when you are logged out, or when your browser sends too little data to prove you are a real user.

If you are stuck:

1. Refresh the page, or open the site in a different browser.
2. Disable any VPN or proxy.
3. Clear your cache and cookies, which removes old or corrupted files that can cause the loop.
4. Keep the browser updated, and log in. Perplexity says anonymous users are screened more often.

Your sessions or Pro plan are missing

If Perplexity loads but your sessions or Pro features are gone, you are probably signed in to a different account. The help center guide says:

• The email address must be identical on every device, including letter case. An address with a capital letter counts as different from the same address in lowercase.
• If you use iCloud+, your Pro subscription may be tied to an Apple Hide My Email or Relay address.
• Sessions created while logged out are deleted after 14 days and cannot be recovered. Check your browser history.

To see which email you are using, click your profile picture at the bottom left and open My Account (web and Windows). On a Mac, open your profile and choose Manage Account. On iOS, tap your account at the top left and choose Manage Account. On Android, tap your account at the top left.

Desktop app crashes or shows a blank window

The desktop app article gives these steps:

1. Close the app and reopen it.
2. Make sure you have the current version.
3. If it still won't open, restart your computer.

If the app is slow or uses a lot of memory, check for a long-running task, browser session or preview that is still active. Close the ones you are done with, then restart the app.

Connectors fail or keep disconnecting

Connectors link Perplexity to services such as Google Drive, OneDrive and GitHub. The connector troubleshooting article suggests this order:

1. Confirm the connector is enabled under Plugins, then Installed.
2. Hard refresh, or restart the desktop app.
3. Sign out of other Google, Microsoft or GitHub accounts so the right one is authorized.
4. Allow pop-ups and third-party cookies for perplexity.ai. Test in a private window with extensions off.
5. Select Disconnect, wait a few seconds, then Connect again.

If a tool call fails with "rate limit", "quota" or "429", wait a few minutes or split the task. If a connector is connected but ignored, pick it in the composer or @ mention it, and check that Focus or Sources is not set to Web-only, Academic or Social. Some connectors need a Pro, Max or Enterprise plan, and on Enterprise an admin controls what is available.

If nothing works

Go to Help, then Contact Support. Include your platform, your browser or app version, and a shareable link to the session where the problem happens. For a wrong answer, use the three-dot menu under the response and choose Report. For a bug, the bug report guide asks for device or OS, app version (Settings, then About on desktop), steps to reproduce, and a screenshot or recording. Comet, Perplexity's browser, has its own support: use Help, then Report an Issue inside Comet.

Perplexity's help center is the quickest place to check a fix before writing in. Our guide to Perplexity free and paid plans explains which features need Pro.