Chrome ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE — What It Means & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE means Chrome connected to the website's server but the server sent back absolutely nothing. This is different from a connection refusal — the server answered but then went silent. It is usually caused by a corrupted browser cache, a bad Chrome extension, or a temporary server-side issue.

Affected Models

Google Chrome Windows
Google Chrome macOS
Google Chrome Linux
Google Chrome Android
All Chrome versions

Common Causes

Corrupted browser cache causing Chrome to load a broken or empty cached response
A Chrome extension (VPN, proxy, or ad blocker) intercepting and corrupting the response
The website server timed out or crashed mid-response
Antivirus or firewall software scanning and interrupting the network connection
Chrome profile data is corrupted after an update or crash

How to Fix It

Press Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac) to hard-refresh the page and bypass the cache.

A stale or corrupted cached entry can cause an empty response — a hard refresh forces Chrome to fetch fresh data from the server.
Clear Chrome cache and cookies: go to Settings → Privacy and Security → Clear Browsing Data → select All time → check Cached images and Cookies → click Clear.

This is the most effective fix for ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE — a full cache clear eliminates all corrupted stored data.
Open the same page in an incognito window to test without extensions.

If the page loads in incognito, a Chrome extension is interfering — go to chrome://extensions and disable them one by one.
Temporarily disable your antivirus or firewall and try loading the page again.

Some security software intercepts HTTPS connections and can corrupt the response — disabling it briefly confirms whether it is the cause.
Try the site in a different browser (Firefox or Edge) to determine if the issue is Chrome-specific or server-side.

If the site loads fine in another browser, the problem is with Chrome. If it fails everywhere, the server is the issue.

When to Call a Professional

ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE is almost always self-fixable and does not require professional help. If the error only occurs on your internal company network or VPN, contact your IT department. For persistent errors on a specific website, the issue may be on the website server — contact the site owner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE my fault or the website's fault?

It can be either. If it happens on one specific site, the server is likely the cause. If it happens on many sites, your browser cache or an extension is more likely responsible. Test in incognito and with the cache cleared to tell the difference.

Does ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE mean the website is down?

Not necessarily — the server responded, it just sent nothing back. This often indicates a server-side crash or misconfiguration, but it can also be a local Chrome issue. Check the site on your phone or a different network to confirm whether it is a server outage.

Why does ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE happen on one specific page but not others?

That specific page may have a broken cache entry in your browser, or the page on the server is returning an empty body due to a bug. Clearing cache for just that site (lock icon → Site settings → Clear data) is a targeted fix. If the error persists after clearing cache, the website server itself has an issue.