How to Fix ChatGPT Error in Moderation

Once in a while, ChatGPT throws strange errors while interacting with the AI model. You could face the ChatGPT network error or the service might not be functional at all. Recently, many users reported that ChatGPT is showing an ‘Error in Moderation’ and refusing to generate a response. To find the answer, we looked into the problem and found that it’s likely caused by misinterpretation of the prompt. So to fix the ChatGPT Error in Moderation, follow our tutorial below.

What Causes Error in Moderation on ChatGPT?

If ChatGPT is showing an ‘Error in Moderation’ response to your prompt, it means ChatGPT deems your prompt sensitive. ChatGPT might be misinterpreting the context of your prompt, leading to strict moderation. AI models generally come with many safeguards to prevent them from generating harmful or inappropriate content.

That said, many users have reported that even an innocuous prompt generates an ‘Error in Moderation’ response in ChatGPT. This can most likely be attributed to the ambiguity of the language, flagging harmless prompts as inappropriate. In such a scenario, it’s recommended to tweak your prompt so that it’s interpreted positively and accepted for further processing.

How to Fix Error in Moderation on ChatGPT

You can use the following fixes to resolve the Error in Moderation on ChatGPT, so the AI chatbot can process your prompts the way you want.

Method 1: Re-login on ChatGPT

Many users have reported that logging out from ChatGPT and logging in fixes the ‘Error in Moderation’ problem. It might not work for everyone, in which case, you should wait for the problem to be resolved from OpenAI’s end. Generally, these types of errors are fixed by OpenAI within a few hours.

You can sign out of ChatGPT by visiting chatgpt.com and heading over to your profile picture > Log out. Once you’re logged out, you’ll be taken to the sign-in page, where you can enter your credentials to sign back in.

Method 2: Craft a Clear and Respectful Prompt

AI models can misbehave and refuse to generate responses if you use offensive or abusive prompts. To avoid that, refrain from using language that borders on discrimination, hate speech, or explicit content. Your prompt should be respectful and polite to get the best response from the AI model. It not only applies to ChatGPT but all other AI models as well.

Also, even when you are asking questions on a contentious topic, be neutral and clear in your language so that ChatGPT can interpret your prompt without any room for ambiguity. Avoid using heavily loaded words to ensure a safe interaction with the AI model. You can check out our Best ChatGPT prompts article to learn more.

Method 3: Check OpenAI Status

Often, despite the prompt being courteous and clear, ChatGPT throws ‘Error in Moderation’ and refuses to generate a response. If you are facing such an issue, I would suggest looking at OpenAI’s status page (status.openai.com). This page shows the real-time status of ChatGPT’s service and will display whether the service faced any downtime recently.

If there is an outage, it will show a red bar with descriptions of the error people are facing. OpenAI starts monitoring such outages and investigates the problem, resolving them in a few hours. Track the status page, and once the errors are resolved, go ahead and try your prompt. The ChatGPT Error in Moderation should be fixed.

Method 4: Try Other ChatGPT Alternatives

If ChatGPT is still throwing the moderation error, you can check out our Best ChatGPT alternatives post to try your luck elsewhere. OpenAI’s models are also used by Microsoft for its Copilot service. You can head over to Microsoft Copilot (website) and get a response from the latest ChatGPT models.

Apart from that, you can use Google’s Gemini chatbot (website) which is also a powerful AI model. If you are subscribed to Gemini Advanced, you will get an even better response, in line with ChatGPT. Finally, Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet model is grabbing headlines for beating ChatGPT 4o in many benchmark tests. You can check out Claude Chat (website) where you get free access to the top-tier model.

So these are the few ways you can fix the Error in Moderation problem in ChatGPT. I would recommend users to re-login and then tweak the prompt to see if the problem persists. If you still get the same error, check out the OpenAI status page and move to another alternative. Finally, you can check our ChatGPT is not working guide to resolve issues with the AI chatbot if nothing works.