10 Fixes for Deepseek Server Busy Issues [2025]

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek topped the app download charts, leading to a drop in U.S. tech stocks and becoming global headline news. Now, many people use DeepSeek every day. However, this came at the cost of some errors that popped up pretty often for users.

One particular error that users often encountered was Deepseek Server Busy errors, which stopped Deepseek from generating responses and instead responded with 'The server is busy. Please try again later' or similar.

Why this issue occur and how to fix Deepseek's busy server error? Let's dive in!

Part 1: Why Deepseek Always Says the Server Is Busy?

These are the common reasons why you often see Deepseek says "The server is busy".

• High Traffic: High traffic overwhelming Deepseek's resources, especially when there are too many active users accessing Deepseek.
• Limited Server Resources: Deepseek has infrastructure limitations due to a rapidly growing user base that can't support high traffic as efficiently.
• Server Maintenance: Ongoing server maintenance can prevent access until it is completed.
• Technical Issues: Bugs or processing overloads on Deepseek's end can make the platform unresponsive.
• Regional Outages: Regional outages or ISP restrictions can lead to Deepseek server is always down, and governmental restrictions may block access to Deepseek.

Part 2: How to Fix Deepseek "Server is busy"

After understanding the common causes for the busy server issue on Deepseek, you can start learning the possible solutions to fix your problem.

1. Check Deepseek Service Status

The first step is to ensure that there aren't any server outages. If you notice any outages or Deepseek server is down, that's most likely the cause of the 'Server is Busy' error.

To do this, Deepseek has a convenient and easily accessible site to check the status of both their API and Web chat services statuses. You can check by going to the 'Deepseek Service Status' page at this link: https://status.deepseek.com/.

If there are no outages/degraded performance at the time of use but you're still facing server-busy issues, try one of the other fixes below.

2. Disable DeepThink and Web Search

Deepseek always displays "The server is busy. Please try again later" may because the DeepThhink mode and Web Search mode are turned on. DeepThink is specially designed for various complex logical reasoning problems such as mathematics and code. Compared with ordinary simple problems, it can provide more comprehensive, clear, rigorous and high-quality answers. However, these two modes will consume more computing resources, take more time for it to return the answer from the server.

In that case, we recommend turning off the DeepThink mode and Web Search mode, especially when you are trying to ask simple and ordinary prompts. By doing so, Deepseek will regenerate answers without prompting the server busy error.

3. Wait and Retry

If you'd rather not try and go through complicated troubleshooting steps, there is a simple 'trick' you can try. Simply wait and retry Deepseek at a different time.

When "The server is busy" error pops up, you can click the "Regenerate" icon to get responds again. Sometimes Deepseek will restart to generate the response.

In case servers are clogged up during peak usage times, which is one of the most common causes of the 'server busy' error, most people would choose to wait until the peek hours go. Try it again after 2-3 hours and see if the server clears up enough for you to access.

4. Refresh the Page or App

Another easy fix to try is to refresh the Deepseek page. While simple, a refresh can help resolve temporary glitches and connectivity issues.

Since your browser might run into temporary bugs or errors, a refresh can help fix the problem by allowing Deepseek to load properly. Refreshing helps to re-establish the connection to Deepseek's servers or updates the session data to ensure the latest session data is loaded.

5. Check Your Internet Connection

The next fix is to check your internet connection.

On your PC or mobile phone, open the Wi-Fi settings and check the Wi-Fi network you're connected to. Make sure it says 'Connected' and has 'Internet Access'.

If you see anything like 'No Internet Access' or 'No Available Networks', there might be a problem with your Wi-Fi connection. Try switching the 'Wi-Fi' toggle on and off on your PC/mobile device and reconnect to the network. If it connects as usual like the below picture, you should be good to go.

If you're still facing issues accessing the internet, check your Wi-Fi router and ensure the 'Internet' light is lit up and not blinking red. Otherwise, you should contact the ISP for further assistance.

6. Clear Browser/App Cache

Another possible issue causing server-busy errors with Deepseek is because of a corrupted browser cache.

Typically, your browser cache and cookies are used to load sites faster and to streamline certain processes on the site, but this can also lead to 'corrupted' data causing issues with Deepseek.

If your cache is already corrupted or facing errors, it will continuously repeat the error causing the problem to persist. In that case, clearing your cache and cookies can help rectify the issue.

Here's a step-by-step guide to clear it on Chrome:

If this issue happens on your mobile phone, you can also try to clear the Deepseek's app cache on your Android phone:

For iPhone users, there is no settings for deleting app cache, but you can try reinstalling Deepseek to fix the issue.

7. Disable Browser Extensions/Firewalls

Aside from your browser cache, there could also be an issue with a browser extension or firewall. Browser extensions can interfere with a website's processes, which in turn can prevent platforms like Deepseek from functioning properly.

Unknowingly an extension could be blocking critical scripts or content that Deepseek requires to function or the extension may have a bug/issue causing problems with certain sites.

In that case, disabling browser extensions could solve the issue. Here's how to disable them on Chrome:

Alternatively, your Firewall could also be blocking access to certain internet traffic based on pre-defined rules. Your device might mistakenly flag Deepseek as a potential risk, limiting access to the platform by preventing a stable connection.

Try temporarily disabling your firewall to see if that fixes the issue. Here's how to do that on Windows:

Now try to use Deepseek and see if it works.

Note: Don't forget to turn on firewall later to protect your computer.

8. Use VPN

Using a VPN is a possible solution to Deepseek's server busy error since it allows you to 'change' your virtual location and reroutes your internet traffic through a different server.

If you're facing the issue due to regional restrictions where Deepseek's servers have limited access in select regions, a VPN connection to a different region where the service functions normally could solve the problem.

There can also be instances where your internet service provider is throttling AI-related platform traffic or experiencing network congestion. In that case, a VPN can bypass these limitations.

A VPN can also be useful if Deepseek's servers are overloaded in a select region. Using a VPN server that connects via a different country with lower traffic could allow you to access Deepseek and bypass the 'server busy' error.

9. Update Software to the Latest Version

Another potential cause for errors is outdated software versions. If you are using the Deepseek application on your Android or iPhone, try to update Deepseek to the latest version; if you are using Deepseek on your browser, try to update the browser to the latest version.

To update Deepseek on your smartphone:

If you use Deepseek on your web browser, you can update your browser by going to Browser Settings > About to update.

After updating, re-open Deepseek and see if it still pops up the Server Is Busy error.

10. Try OpenRouter

For the last solution, if the above solution unfortunately didn't work at all, consider using a platform like OpenRouter which provides a unified interface to access all your large language models. Many Reddit users recommend OpenRouter as a solution if you frequently see Deepseek's "server is busy" error.

By using a platform like OpenRouter which routes requests through their platform, users can access optimized pathways which could potentially alleviate server congestion and reduce errors like the server busy issue.

However, you will need an account with OpenRouter and you may need to purchase credits that cost real-world money. We'll show you how to use the free version of Deepseek but if you're a power user, consider connecting to Deepseek's API to the OpenRouter platform for a more cohesive experience:

Part 3: Practical Tips to Use Deepseek

1. Try Using DeepThink More Often

One 'unique' feature that Deepseek has is 'DeepThink'.

DeepThink essentially breaks down the AI's 'thought' process on your query. It analyzes the question you've asked, and DeepThink allows you to look through its thought process to understand what Deepseek's AI model understands.

It's built specifically to handle reasoning problems that require complex problem-solving, for example, when coding.

This makes it easier to parse through the AI model's reasoning and logic, which can allow for more streamlined conversations with the AI to achieve the task you need it to do.

2. Try Using Web Search Less

Oftentimes, we've noticed that using Deepseek's Web Search feature while useful, can be 'impractical' especially when you're constantly running into 'server busy' errors.

Since it requires accessing the internet to answer your question, this takes up more time to generate a response, which in turn causes the server busy error.

If you're constantly running into the error with this option enabled, try using Deepseek without it on.

3. Use Short and Direct Sentences

Another reason why you might run into the server busy error is because Deepseek's AI model is 'overloaded' by lengthy text or content. Try breaking down your queries into smaller parts using shorter and more direct sentences on what you want the AI to do.

This should help alleviate the processing load, which should help mitigate server-busy errors.

Part 4: Summary

That said, we've reached the end of our troubleshooting guide and we hope you've found a solution that works for you to alleviate the dreaded Deepseek server busy error.

Deepseek is an exciting entry to the AI arsenal for any user, but such errors can be particularly frustrating when you need to use it most.

Considering it's still a relatively new LLM model, we should be a little more accepting of its flaws. We predict as the year progresses, Deepseek should be refined even further to iron out such errors.