OpenAI dall-e-2 model retirement

Stopped workingMay 12, 2026Subscribe to OpenAIShare

On May 12, 2026, the dall-e-2 model was retired. Requests targeting model dall-e-2 fail since that date. The change took effect following the scheduled shutdown date for the system.

The error you get

What OpenAI answers a call to dall-e-2 once the model is gone, as recorded from real responses:

HTTP 404

{"error":{"message":"The model `dall-e-2` has been deprecated, learn more here: https://platform.openai.com/docs/deprecations","type":"invalid_request_error","param":null,"code":"model_not_found"}}

What to use instead of dall-e-2

Move to gpt-image-2, as the other suggested alternatives are either retired or retiring soon, with gpt-image-1 having stopped working on October 23, 2026, and gpt-image-1-mini stopping on December 1, 2026. This transition requires more than updating the model ID: gpt-image-2 always returns base64 in data[].b64_json because response_format is unsupported, meaning you must decode and store the bytes yourself. Additionally, there is no equivalent replacement for the DALL·E 2 variations call at /v1/images/variations.

gpt-image-2 always returns base64 (data[].b64_json), never a URL: response_format is unsupported, so store or serve the decoded bytes yourself. There is no equivalent of the DALL·E 2 variations call (/v1/images/variations).

In OpenAI's words

Shutdown date: 2026-05-12; Model / system: dall-e-2; Recommended replacement: gpt-image-2 , gpt-image-1 , or gpt-image-1-mini

OpenAI, Deprecations page

Facts

API: OpenAI api.openai.com
Model: dall-e-2
Kind: Model retirement
Takes effect: May 12, 2026
Calls after that day: Fail
Source: Deprecations page
Last updated: November 6, 2026
Verified: November 6, 2026, against OpenAI's own pages

Questions

When does dall-e-2 shut down?

Calls to the model dall-e-2 on OpenAI stopped working on May 12, 2026.

What happens to calls after May 12, 2026?

They have failed since May 12, 2026.

What error does dall-e-2 return once it is shut down?

OpenAI answers HTTP 404: "The model `dall-e-2` has been deprecated, learn more here: https://platform.openai.com/docs/deprecations". Send another model to fix it.

How do I find the calls this hits in my code?

Okapi reads your repository, finds the calls this change hits and opens a pull request with the fix. It never commits to your branches: every change comes as a pull request you review.

You fixed this one by hand.

Okapi opens the pull request with the fix before the next breaking change reaches your code.

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