Don’t you just hate that sinking feeling when you’re doing your thing, surfing the web, and then suddenly you can’t access the page you really wanted to, and all you’re seeing is the annoying 403 forbidden error message? Or worse, you’re the owner of the said website?
What on earth does it even mean and what can you do to fix this? Worry not, the problem might be very easy to resolve.
What is an Error 403 – Forbidden message?
Springing up on a web page you’re trying to open in your browser, the 403 forbidden error is a specific status code for the web’s Hypertext Transfer Protocol, which suggests that the server has understood the request, but it can’t grant you additional access.
In this case, the user typically gets a message that might appear in different forms, such as:
- Error – Forbidden: Access is denied
- Error 403 – Forbidden
- 403 Forbidden – nginx
- 403 – Forbidden Error – you are not allowed to access this address
- Forbidden – You don’t have permission to access / on this server
Why does a 403 forbidden code happen?
There are multiple possible reasons for the 403 error to appear. These include a corrupt .htaccess file, incorrect file permissions, incorrect DNS configuration (like outdated IP address records), malware infections, hotlink protection issues, Content Delivery Network (CDN) conflicts, WordPress plugin issues, and server-level security settings.
How to fix a 403 forbidden as a user
So, how to fix 403 forbidden error on Google Chrome if you’re a web page visitor? There are some things you can try, such as:
- Refreshing the page: Sometimes the solution is as simple as hitting the F5 key on your keyboard or pressing the Reload button at the top of your browser window.
- Double-checking the URL: A spelling mistake or a misplaced forward slash or dash could be causing the error, so review the URL to make sure there aren’t any such mistakes.
- Clearing cache and cookies: You may also resolve the 403 code by clearing your cache and deleting cookies, be it all of them or just those related to the website, as they can become corrupted, outdated, or incompatible with some websites.
- Disconnecting your VPN: Despite being super-useful in enhancing your online privacy and security, sometimes a VPN can get in the way due to some websites and servers restricting access to users connecting this way.
- Contacting your ISP: If all else fails and you’re still having issues with a 403 error message, then the issue could be your Internet Service Provider (ISP) blocking access to specific websites, so check in with them.
How to fix a forbidden error as a website owner/administrator
If you’re the owner or administrator of the website facing this issue and you think the problem could be on your side, try the following:
- Refreshing plugins: Deactivate all your WordPress plugins one by one to see if any of them are problematic or incompatible enough to cause the glitch.
- Restoring .htaccess file: If this important configuration file is corrupted or altered, defines an incorrect root folder, or contains syntax errors, fix these issues through an FTP client or regenerate the file.
- Checking file permissions: If there are any incorrect permissions, change them from the File Manager in your hosting panel or from an FTP client to the recommended 755 for directories and 644 for files.
- Analyzing Index Manager values: Check your Index Manager feature within cPanel to see whether you’ve set it to ‘No Indexing’ or ‘Default System Setting,’ as this could be causing the issue.
- Examining server error logs: Identify misconfigured files or scripts causing the error in the server’s logs (Metrics > Errors), which capture all the errors generated by your web server.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the 403 forbidden error is a common sight in Google Chrome, and fixing it might be as simple as refreshing the website or just waiting a bit. However, it might not be so simple if you’re the website’s owner, because it means a dip in traffic, and consequently, the business, if not resolved quickly.
Hopefully, the above solutions help you in this endeavor, and if you encounter other frustrating messages, such as the 404 error message, the 500 internal server code, the 504 gateway timeout error, or the error 7644fg.j-7doll code, then check out our guides for assistance.
