{"id":3231,"date":"2025-03-26T15:22:45","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T14:22:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mijn.host\/blog\/what-is-an-http-403-error-and-how-do-you-fix-it\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T16:28:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T14:28:00","slug":"what-is-an-http-403-error-and-how-do-you-fix-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/what-is-an-http-403-error-and-how-do-you-fix-it\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an HTTP 403 error and how do you fix it?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An HTTP 403 Forbidden error indicates that a web server understands your request, but refuses to fulfill it. Unlike other errors, such as a 404 error (page not found), a 403 error means that the server knows exactly what you&#8217;re asking for, but is intentionally denying you access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this article, you&#8217;ll learn what exactly a 403 error is, how to solve it (as a WordPress website owner and as a website visitor), and what the causes are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-exactly-does-an-http-403-error-mean\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What exactly does an HTTP 403 error mean?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The HTTP 403 Forbidden error is one of the many HTTP status codes that servers use to communicate with web browsers. The number &#8220;403&#8221; specifically indicates that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The server perfectly understands your request<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The identity of the client (your browser) is known to the server<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Despite correct authentication, you do not have permission to view the requested content<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A 403 error differs from a 401 error (Unauthorized) because with a 401 error, authentication is required but has not yet been provided. With a 403 error, authentication is not relevant or has been provided but is insufficient for access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"how-do-you-recognize-a-403-error\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How do you recognize a 403 error?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A 403 Forbidden error can be displayed in various ways. Usually, you&#8217;ll see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;403 Forbidden&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;HTTP Error 403 \u2013 Forbidden&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;Error 403: You do not have permission to view this page&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But in some cases, the 403 code is not mentioned:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;Access denied: You do not have permission to view this directory&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;Forbidden: You do not have access rights to this resource&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"how-do-you-solve-a-403-error-as-a-wordpress-user\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How do you solve a 403 error (as a WordPress user)?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We&#8217;ll look at how to solve a 403 error as a WordPress website owner. Below you will find the most common causes and their corresponding solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"incorrect-file-permissions\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Incorrect file permissions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Probably the number one cause of 403 errors in WordPress is incorrect file permissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Solution: correct file permissions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Log in to your hosting via FTP or File Manager<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Navigate to your WordPress installation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set the correct permissions:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For directories: 755 (drwxr-xr-x)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For files: 644 (rw-r&#8211;r&#8211;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For wp-config.php: 600 (rw&#8212;&#8212;-)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can do this by right-clicking on a file\/directory and selecting &#8220;Rechten&#8221; or &#8220;Permissions.&#8221; In <a href=\"https:\/\/filezilla-project.org\/\">FileZilla<\/a>, you can also use CHMOD commands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"htaccess-file-corrupted-or-misconfigured\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>.htaccess file corrupted or misconfigured<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A corrupted or misconfigured .htaccess file can cause 403 errors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Solution: recreate .htaccess<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>First, make a backup of your current .htaccess file<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Delete the existing .htaccess file or rename it (e.g., to .htaccess_old)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to your <strong>WordPress dashboard<\/strong> <strong>>> Settings >> Permalinks<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click on \u201cSave Changes\u201d without modifying anything<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>WordPress will now automatically generate a new .htaccess file with the correct default settings<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"826\" height=\"530\" sizes=\"(max-width: 826px) 100vw, 826px\" src=\"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wp-dashboard-permalinks.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wp-dashboard-permalinks.png 826w, https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wp-dashboard-permalinks-300x192.png 300w, https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/wp-dashboard-permalinks-768x493.png 768w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"ip-address-blocked-by-firewall\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>IP address blocked by firewall<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes, your IP address is blocked by a firewall or security plugin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Solution: unblock IP address<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Log in to your hosting control panel (DirectAdmin, Plesk, etc.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Look for the firewall settings (often under \u201cSecurity\u201d or \u201cBeveiliging\u201d)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check the list of blocked IP addresses and remove your own IP if necessary<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you are using a security plugin like Wordfence, Sucuri, or iThemes Security:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Log in to your WordPress site via FTP<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rename the security plugin&#8217;s folder (e.g., from \u201cwordfence\u201d to \u201cwordfence_disabled\u201d)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Try accessing your site again<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If this works, log in to your dashboard and configure the plugin correctly<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"modsecurity-blocking-access\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Mod_security blocking access<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mod_security is a security module on web servers that can block legitimate traffic if it seems suspicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Solution: adjust mod_security rules<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Contact your hosting provider and ask if mod_security is enabled<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ask if they can disable specific rules that are causing you problems<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you have access to your server configuration, add this to your .htaccess:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&lt;IfModule mod_security.c><br>SecFilterEngine Off<br>SecFilterScanPOST Of<br>&lt;\/IfModule><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Note:<\/strong> only disable mod_security if you know what you are doing. It is an important security layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"plugin-or-theme-causing-a-conflict\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Plugin or theme causing a conflict<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sometimes a plugin or theme can cause 403 errors due to conflicts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Solution: deactivate plugins and themes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Log in to your server via FTP<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to wp-content\/plugins\/<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rename the \u201cplugins\u201d folder to \u201cplugins_old\u201d (this deactivates all plugins)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check if you can access your site<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If that works, rename the folder back to \u201cplugins\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Activate plugins one by one to find the conflicting plugin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If the problem persists, try deactivating your theme by temporarily renaming the folder wp-content\/themes\/[your-theme]<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"too-many-redirects\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Too many redirects<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An incorrectly configured redirect can lead to 403 errors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Solution: check and correct redirects<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check your .htaccess for redundant redirect rules<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check your WordPress settings (both site URL and WordPress URL should be correct)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check redirects in any SEO plugins or redirect plugins<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clear your browser cache and cookies, or try another browser<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"issues-with-cdn-or-proxy\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Issues with CDN or proxy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you&#8217;re using a CDN like Cloudflare or a proxy, it can cause 403 errors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Solution: adjust CDN or proxy settings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Temporarily disable your CDN to see if the problem is caused by it<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In Cloudflare:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Temporarily enable \u201cDevelopment Mode\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check the Firewall Rules and Page Rules for blocks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Disable \u201cRocket Loader\u201d and \u201cMinify\u201d if they are enabled<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n<li>Ensure your CDN is correctly configured for WordPress<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"incorrect-database-access\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Incorrect database access<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In some cases, a 403 error can occur when WordPress does not have access to the database.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Solution: check database settings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check your wp-config.php file for correct database settings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure the database user has the correct permissions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check if your database server is accessible<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you have recently moved your hosting, make sure the database settings are updated<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"how-to-fix-a-403-error-as-a-website-visitor\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How to fix a 403 error (as a website visitor)?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is how you can resolve 403 errors as a website visitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"1-check-if-you-are-logged-in\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Check if you are logged in<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ensure you are logged in if the content requires access permissions. Sometimes you are automatically logged out after a certain period of inactivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"2-check-the-url\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Check the URL<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verify if you have entered the correct URL. A typo can sometimes result in a 403 error instead of a 404 error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"3-clear-your-browser-cache-and-cookies\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Clear your browser cache and cookies<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Outdated cache or cookies can cause authentication problems:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In Chrome: Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Command+Shift+Delete (Mac)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In Firefox: Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Command+Shift+Delete (Mac)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In Safari: Go to Safari > Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"4-use-a-vpn-or-proxy\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Use a VPN or proxy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the website restricts access based on geographic location, a VPN service can help bypass this restriction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"5-contact-the-website-administrator\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5. Contact the website administrator<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If none of the above solutions work, contact the website owner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"common-causes-of-403-errors\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Common causes of 403 errors<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the completeness of this article, I will briefly discuss the exact reasons for 403 errors below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"1-insufficient-access-rights\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. Insufficient access rights<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most common cause is simply that you are not authorized to view the content. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A secured page that requires specific user rights<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A restricted section of a website accessible only to certain user groups<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Content restricted to users from specific geographic locations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"2-file-permissions-on-the-server\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. File permissions on the server<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Web servers have a system of permissions for files and folders. If these permissions are not correctly set, a 403 error may occur. This is relevant for webmasters and developers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"3-ip-blocks\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. IP blocks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many websites restrict access based on IP addresses. If your IP address is blocked, you will encounter a 403 error. This can happen if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You have sent too many requests in a short time (potential DDoS attack)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your IP address is associated with suspicious activity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The website restricts access to certain countries or regions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"4-missing-index-files\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Missing index files<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you visit a directory on a web server without a specific file, the server looks for an index file (such as index.html). If this file is missing and directory browsing is disabled, you will encounter a 403 error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"5-robotstxt-restrictions\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5. Robots.txt restrictions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For search engines and bots, a 403 error can occur due to restrictions in a website&#8217;s robots.txt file.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An HTTP 403 Forbidden error message indicates that a web server understands your request but refuses to fulfill it. Unlike other errors, such as a 404 error (page not found), a 403 error means that the server knows exactly what you&#8217;re asking for, but intentionally denies you access. In this article, you&#8217;ll learn what [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2081,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"hide_cta_migrate_site":false,"hide_toc_block":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[228],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-tricks"],"lang":"en","translations":{"en":3231,"nl":2079},"pll_sync_post":{},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3231"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3231\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3346,"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3231\/revisions\/3346"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2081"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}