What to do when Claude gives an error message?
Common error types and quick fixes
Most Claude errors fall into a few categories: network timeouts, rate limits, content policy blocks, or temporary service issues. A 'something went wrong' message usually means a transient server problem — refresh and wait 30-60 seconds. Rate limit errors ('too many requests') mean you've hit the per-minute or daily quota; wait until the window resets. Content policy errors appear when your request triggers safety filters; rephrase or break the task into smaller parts.
- Copy the exact error text before refreshing
- Check status.anthropic.com for ongoing incidents
- Try a simpler or shorter prompt first
- Clear browser cache if errors persist across sessions
When to contact support
If the same error repeats after 3-4 attempts over 10-15 minutes, or if you see error codes like 500, 502, or 503 consistently, open a support ticket at support.anthropic.com. Include the error text, timestamp, your account email, and the prompt that triggered it. Free tier users may wait longer for a response than paid plan subscribers.
Common mistakes
- Assuming every error means your prompt was wrong — many are temporary server issues.
- Retrying immediately without waiting; this can extend rate limit penalties.
- Deleting conversation history before saving the error details for support.
