ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE — What It Means & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE means your browser successfully connected to the server, but the server sent back absolutely nothing. Your browser was waiting for a web page, but got silence. This is different from a timeout (where the server never responds) — here the server accepted the connection but then said nothing. It usually points to a problem on the server side, though corrupted browser data can also cause it.

Affected Models

Google Chrome
Microsoft Edge
Chromium-based browsers
Windows
macOS
Android

Common Causes

The website's server crashed or its web application stopped running mid-connection
Your browser cache or profile data has become corrupted
A browser extension is blocking the response from reaching your browser
The server has a resource limit (memory, connections) and dropped the response
A network device between you and the server (proxy, firewall, CDN) dropped the response

How to Fix It

Press Ctrl+F5 to do a hard refresh. This bypasses the cache and forces Chrome to make a completely new request.

One-off empty responses can happen due to a brief server hiccup. A hard refresh often resolves it immediately.
Clear your browser cache and cookies. In Chrome, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete, select All time, check Cookies and site data and Cached images and files, and click Clear data.

A corrupted cache entry can cause Chrome to send a malformed request that results in an empty response.
Disable all browser extensions. Type chrome://extensions in the address bar and toggle off every extension. Reload the page.

Some extensions (especially ad blockers and privacy tools) can intercept responses and strip them out entirely.
Reset Chrome network settings. Type chrome://flags in the address bar, click 'Reset all to default', then restart Chrome.

Experimental Chrome flags can sometimes cause abnormal network behavior.
Try the site on a different browser or device to confirm whether the problem is Chrome, your computer, or the website itself.

If the site works in Firefox or on your phone, the issue is specific to your Chrome installation.

When to Call a Professional

If this is your own website and you see ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE, check your server's error logs immediately. The web server process (Apache, Nginx, Node.js) may have crashed or run out of memory. Your hosting provider's support team can investigate server-side logs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this always a server problem?

Usually yes, but not always. The most common cause is the web server crashing or dropping the connection mid-response. However, corrupted Chrome profile data or an aggressive browser extension can also produce an empty response. Try clearing your cache and disabling extensions before assuming the server is broken.

If the site works on my phone, why does Chrome on my PC show this error?

Your phone uses a different browser and has a separate cache. If mobile Chrome or another browser shows the site fine, the problem is likely specific to your PC's Chrome installation. Try creating a new Chrome profile (click your profile icon > Add) and loading the site there. If it works in the new profile, your main profile's data is corrupted.

Can my internet speed cause ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE?

Indirectly yes. On a very slow connection, a server may time out waiting for your request to complete, and drop the connection. This can result in an empty response. Run a speed test at speedtest.net to check your connection, and try on a faster network if available.