09/03/2026
ChatGPT is down worldwide right now. Not slow. Down.
I found out the way a lot of you probably did. I was mid build on two apps, pushing through important updates in Codex, and everything just stopped. Browser offline. Build frozen. And this one isn't only OpenAI. Claude and Grok went down at the same time as well but they are recovering.
So if you're sitting there refreshing a dead session right now, wondering how much work you just lost, I want to give you something more useful than a status page.
Here is what kept my builds safe today, and what I'd want any builder to have in place before the next one of these hits.
1. Version your app. Every so often, lock in a version so everything built to that point is stored and secure. When something breaks, you fall back to your last version point instead of back to zero. Do this on a rhythm, but especially after you've added an important component, solved a big issue, or made a decision that changes the direction of the build. Those are the moments you cannot afford to lose.
2. Keep a local copy. This won't let you keep building when the platform is down, so let's be clear about that. What it does is keep your work in your hands. You're not sitting there wondering whether your files survived, whether the last session saved, or what you'll find when the site comes back. You already know, because you have it.
3. Keep your prompts and specs in writing. I maintain several .md and .doc files covering plans, strategy, research, architecture, logic, SOPs, pricing, competitive analysis, product specifications, bottlenecks, and critical issues.
I also keep one running working doc that captures the entire build from start to finish. Think of it as a scratch pad where I note anything important and bookmark the sections I know I'll want again. It gets large, but the bookmarking makes it easy to navigate and it stays open the whole time I build. I can't count how many times that doc has surfaced a decision, an insight, or a piece of analysis that shaped what I did next. If your platform disappears tomorrow, that doc is what lets you rebuild somewhere else.
4. Build on more than one platform. Stay platform agnostic. You'll still have a favorite, but today made the case. Our Elevated Worlds app was built on Codex, so it was impacted by the shutdown. Our Social Studio OS was built on Claude Code, which kept moving. Spreading your work is the only thing standing between you and a full stop.
5. Put your API keys in environment variables. If a key sits in your code, it can be stolen, and it will be. And if you're vibe coding, don't hand your secret keys or API keys to your AI app builder. That exposes you too.
6. Bonus. Test your restore. Build a restore method into your system, then actually run it. A backup you've never restored from is a guess, not a safeguard.
None of this is complicated. It just has to be done before you need it, because you don't get a warning. You get a spinning cursor and a sinking feeling.
Today is the reminder. Take twenty minutes and put one of these in place while it's fresh.
Which one have you been skipping? Drop it in the comments. I'd love to hear from you.
