JanitorAI "No Response From Bot" and Other Proxy Errors: Every Fix
By Vibhek SoniUpdated 4 min read
Quick answer
"No response from bot" means JanitorAI stopped waiting before the model finished, which happens with slow thinking models and very long chats. Wait for the reply instead of retrying, keep streaming on, start a new chat or lower the context, or switch to a lighter model like fta/zai/glm-5.3-flash.
Key takeaways
- Most JanitorAI proxy errors come from four things: the URL, the key, the page not being refreshed, or the model being slow.
- "Failed to fetch" means the request never left your browser, usually a wrong URL or an incomplete key.
- Pressing retry while a reply is still coming starts a second request, and free accounts run one at a time.
- Errors from FreeTheAI include an error ID. Send it with a screenshot when you ask for help.
Every error at a glance
We see these errors in real support tickets every day. Find the message JanitorAI shows you, then use the fix.
| What JanitorAI shows | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No response from bot | JanitorAI gave up waiting while the model was still working. | Wait, keep streaming on, shorten the chat, or use a faster model. |
| Failed to fetch / network error | The request never reached the API. | Use the exact Proxy URL, paste the full key, save, and refresh the page. |
| 401 / unauthorized | The key is wrong or incomplete. | Paste the whole 53-character ftai_ key, not the short prefix from your key list. |
| 429 / too many requests | A request is already running, or you hit a rate limit. | Wait for the current reply to finish before retrying. |
| Daily check-in required | Free models are locked until today's check-in. | Check in at freetheai.org/checkin. It resets at 00:00 UTC. |
| Model is busy | The model is at capacity right now. | Wait a minute or pick another model. Busy refusals do not count. |
| Blocked / rejected | The model's own content filter stopped the message or reply. | Rephrase slightly, retry, or switch models. |
| Reply stops mid-sentence | The reply hit your max tokens setting. | Raise Max new tokens, or set it to 0 for the model's full limit. |
Fixing "No response from bot"
This is the most common message, and it is almost never a broken setup. JanitorAI waits a limited time for the reply. Thinking models such as fta/kimi/k3 reason before they write, and on a chat with tens of thousands of tokens of history that can take longer than JanitorAI is willing to wait.
- Do not press retry right away. The first request is often still running. Retrying starts a second one, and free accounts run one request at a time, so the second one is refused.
- Keep streaming on so text arrives as it is written.
- Shorten the chat. Start a new chat or lower the context size in the generation settings. A 35,000-token history is much slower than a 5,000-token one.
- Switch to a faster model for long chats, such as
fta/zai/glm-5.3-flashorfta/bbl/gemini-3.5-flash.
Fixing "Failed to fetch" and network errors
When JanitorAI shows "Failed to fetch", the request usually never reached us at all. Check these in order:
- The Proxy URL is exactly
https://api.freetheai.org/v1/chat/completions, with no space at the end. - The key is the full key. The list on the API keys page shows only a short prefix like
ftai_1234567..., and pasting that breaks the request. If you no longer have the full key, create a new one. - You pressed Save Settings and then refreshed the whole page.
Rate limits, busy models, and the daily check-in
Free models need a check-in once a day at freetheai.org/checkin. Until then, requests are refused with a message that says so. After the check-in you have your daily requests until 00:00 UTC.
At peak times a model can be busy. The API then answers that the model is busy and to try again in a minute. These refusals do not use up your daily requests. Switching to another model usually works right away.
Replies that stop mid-sentence
A reply that ends in the middle of a sentence hit the output limit you set. In JanitorAI, raise Max new tokens, or set it to 0. FreeTheAI treats 0 as "use the model's full output length".
Still stuck? Get help fast
Open a ticket in our Discord or from Dashboard > Support, and include:
- Your signup email.
- A screenshot of the error, and of your JanitorAI API settings with the key hidden.
- The error ID if the message has one, and roughly when it happened.
That is everything we need to find the exact request in our logs.
Frequently asked questions
What does "No response from bot" mean on JanitorAI?
JanitorAI stopped waiting before the model finished. It is common with thinking models and long chats. Wait, keep streaming on, shorten the chat, or switch to a faster model.
Do failed requests count against my free limit?
Requests that fail on our side, or are turned away because a model is busy, do not count. A request that JanitorAI cancels after the reply started does count.
Why do I get 429 right after "No response from bot"?
Your first request was still running when you retried. Free accounts run one request at a time. Wait a moment and try again.
Why is my key unauthorized when I just made it?
You probably pasted the short prefix from the key list instead of the full key. The full key is shown only once, when you create it. Make a new key and paste it whole.
About the author
Vibhek Soni founded FreeTheAI and builds and runs its API. He answers the support tickets these posts come from.
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