What is a 403 Error & How to Fix It

What is a 403 Error & How to Fix It

Experiencing a 403 error can be a frustrating interruption to anyone’s day – and can lead to a loss of traffic, revenue, and even potentially harm your site’s reputation and Google rankings. When you (or your site visitors) encounter a 403, it’s vital to assess the issue promptly, or risk losing valuable traffic.


You might run into a 403 forbidden error when visiting a website directory or specific page with restricted permissions, as most websites are set up to disallow directory browsing to protect sensitive files. But in some cases, 403’s can be an indicator of compromise — stemming from by or faulty malware, or a damaged .htaccess file on your website.


In this article, we will delve into the different types of 403 forbidden errors, their possible causes, and provide comprehensive steps on how to troubleshoot and resolve these errors and get your website back online.


What is a 403 error?


The HTTP 403 Forbidden response status code is a client-side error that signifies the server has received and understood the request but is unable to authorize it.


Example of a 403 error.

A 403 Forbidden: you don’t have permission to access this resource error typically occurs when a user does not have the necessary permission to access a specific web page or resource on a web server. This error is usually an issue with the website itself — rather than a problem on the user’s side.


400 error messages can come in all sorts of flavors, but they all mean the same thing. Here are a few variations of 400 errors you might encounter in your browser:


  • 403 Forbidden

  • HTTP 403

  • HTTP Error 403 – Forbidden

  • Error 403

  • Error 403 – Forbidden

  • Forbidden: You don’t have permission to acces ..

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