Is SponsorBlock down right now?
The check below asks SponsorBlock's public status endpoint whether the server is answering. It runs from our server when you open this page, at most once a minute, and from your own browser when you press the button. Comparing the two tells an outage apart from a problem on your device or network.
On a computer? SponsorSkip for Chrome skips sponsor reads without SponsorBlock's server, even on videos nobody has marked.Start your Free 20-Video Test Drive ↗
The browser test sends one request from your device to sponsor.ajay.app, SponsorBlock's server. SponsorSkip is not affiliated with SponsorBlock.“SponsorBlock temporarily not available (API timed out)”
This message comes from YouTube ReVanced and similar patched YouTube apps for Android, not from the SponsorBlock browser extension. The app asked SponsorBlock's server for the video's segments and got no usable answer: either the request took too long (API timed out) or the server returned an error code such as 503.
If the live check shows SponsorBlock as not responding, it's an outage, and nothing on your phone will fix it. Skips return once the server answers again. If the server is online, work through these steps:
- Update the patched app to the latest patches. In SponsorBlock's issue tracker, this is the fix suggested for ReVanced reporting SponsorBlock as unavailable.
- Turn off your VPN for a moment and play the video again.
- If you use Private DNS or an ad-blocking DNS such as NextDNS or a Pi-hole, make sure sponsor.ajay.app isn't blocked.
- In the app's settings, open SponsorBlock and check that it is on and the Sponsor category is set to skip automatically.
- Test a popular video. A video nobody has marked has nothing to skip, even when everything works.
No skip does not always mean an outage
SponsorBlock can only return a segment that exists in its database. A new, less popular or unsponsored video may have no record, and the extension correctly has nothing to skip.
Test with a video whose timeline already shows a colored segment. If that works, the original video probably has no submitted segment, or that category is disabled.
That gap is what SponsorSkip covers on a computer: it reads each video's captions itself, so a video doesn't need a submitted segment. It works on new uploads as soon as captions are available.
Browser extension checklist
Work from the simplest checks outward:
- Run the browser test above. If SponsorBlock is up but your browser can't reach it, start with your VPN, DNS filter or blocking extensions.
- Confirm SponsorBlock is enabled on youtube.com and that you installed the official listing.
- Reload the video tab after installing or updating the extension.
- Open SponsorBlock's settings and check that Sponsor is set to skip automatically or show a button.
- Temporarily disable other extensions in case a content blocker is blocking SponsorBlock's API.
- If you are comfortable with developer tools, look for failed requests to sponsor.ajay.app.
Third-party apps and clients
Apps and TV clients integrate SponsorBlock separately, so their own version matters. An API timeout can come from SponsorBlock's service, while missing controls or a broken overlay usually come from the app.
Update the app, confirm SponsorBlock is enabled inside it, and use that project's troubleshooting guide. Instructions for the Chrome extension don't carry over to an Android or TV client.
Make sure you are testing the right kind of ad
SponsorBlock skips creator-recorded segments inside the video. It does not block pre-roll or mid-roll ads served by YouTube. If the player is showing a YouTube ad, SponsorBlock not skipping it is expected.
When AI detection is a useful fallback
An AI caption detector does not depend on SponsorBlock's server or on another viewer submitting the video. That helps during an outage or on a fresh upload, provided the video has usable captions.
SponsorSkip works this way: it reads each video's captions and skips the sponsor read itself. It is a Chrome extension for computers, so it does not help in ReVanced, on Android or on TV apps. AI detection can also make mistakes and needs its own backend to be available. We publish the method and limits of our test on the comparison page.
Common questions
How do I check if SponsorBlock is down?
Use the live check on this page or SponsorBlock's status page at status.sponsor.ajay.app. If the server answers, the problem is more likely local: an outdated app, a VPN, a DNS filter or a video without submitted segments.
What does “SponsorBlock temporarily not available” mean?
It is YouTube ReVanced's message when SponsorBlock's server doesn't answer in time or returns an error. Check the status first; if the server is up, update the patches and test without a VPN or filtering DNS.
Why does SponsorBlock skip some sponsors but not others?
It can only skip segments someone submitted for that exact video. A sponsor that nobody marked yet will play.
Watching on a computer?
SponsorSkip finds the sponsor read in the captions itself, so it keeps skipping when SponsorBlock's server is down and on videos nobody has marked yet. Start your Free 20-Video Test Drive. No card needed.
Sources
This article is written by SponsorSkip, which offers a paid alternative to SponsorBlock. Facts about SponsorBlock come from its own repository, store listings and translation files; we did not audit its code or servers. External sources were checked on October 18, 2026. Product details describe SponsorSkip as of the update date above.
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