Did you just try to access your WordPress site only to be hit by some message telling you something is “Forbidden” or that you don’t have permission to access something on your site? If so, you’ve likely run into the 403 Forbidden error on WordPress. Show
Seeing an error on your WordPress site can be frustrating and deflating, which is why we’ve created this detailed guide to help you fix the 403 Forbidden Error on WordPress and get your site functioning again as quickly as possible. Let’s get started without any further introduction because we’re sure you just want to fix your site!
Prefer the video version?What is the 403 Forbidden Error?The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) defines the error 403 Forbidden as:
Like many other common WordPress errors, the 403 Forbidden error is an HTTP status code that a web server uses to communicate with your web browser. Quick background on HTTP status codes – whenever you connect to a website with your browser, the web server responds with something called an HTTP header. Usually, this all happens behind the scenes because everything is working normally (that’s a 200 status code, in case you were wondering). However, if something goes wrong, the server will respond back with a different numbered HTTP status code. While these numbers are frustrating to encounter, they’re actually quite important because they help you diagnose exactly what’s going wrong on your site. The 403 Forbidden error means that your web server understands the request that the client (i.e. your browser) is making, but the server will not fulfill it. In more human-friendly terms, it basically means that your server knows exactly what you want to do, it just won’t let you do it because you don’t have the proper permissions for some reason. It’s kind of like you’re trying to get into a private event, but your name got accidentally removed from the guestlist for some reason. Other HTTP status codes mean different things. We’ve written guides on fixing issues with 404 not found errors, 500 internal server errors, 502 bad gateway errors, and 504 gateway timeout errors. What Causes the 403 Forbidden Error on WordPress?The two most likely causes of the 403 Forbidden Error on WordPress are:
It’s also possible that you’re seeing the error because of an issue with a plugin that you’re using at your site. In this article, we’ll show you how to
troubleshoot all of these potential issues. 403 Forbidden Error VariationsLike many other HTTP status codes, there are a lot of different variations for how this error code presents itself. Here are some common variations that you might come across:
If you’re on an Nginx server, it will look like this below. Basically, if you see any mention of “forbidden” or “not allowed to access”, you’re probably dealing with a 403 Forbidden error. How to Fix 403 Forbidden Error on WordPressTo help you fix the 403 Forbidden Error on your WordPress site, we’ll cover five separate troubleshooting steps in detail:
1. File PermissionsEach folder and file on your WordPress site’s server has its own unique file permissions that control who can:
These permissions are indicated by a 3-digit number, with each digit indicating the level of permission for each of the 3 categories above. Normally, these permissions just “work” for your WordPress site. However, if something gets messed up with the file permissions at your WordPress site, it can cause the 403 Forbidden error. To view and modify your site’s file permissions, you’ll need to connect via FTP/SFTP. Here’s how to use SFTP if you’re hosting at Kinsta. For the screenshots in the tutorial below, we’ll be using the free FileZilla FTP program. The basic principles will apply to any FTP program, though – you’ll just need to apply them to a different interface. Once you’re connected to your server, you can view a file or folder’s permissions by right-clicking on it: Of course, manually checking the permissions for each file or folder isn’t really an option. Instead, you can automatically apply file permissions to all the files or folders inside of a folder. According to the WordPress Codex, the ideal file permissions for WordPress are:
One exception is that your wp-config.php file should be 440 or 400. To set these permissions, right-click on the folder that contains your WordPress site (the folder name is public at Kinsta). Then, choose File Attributes: Enter 755 or 750 in the Numeric value box. Then, choose Recurse into subdirectories and Apply to directories only: Once you’ve applied the correct permissions for directories, you’ll repeat the process for files. Only this time:
To finish the process, you just need to manually adjust the permissions for your wp-config.php file to make them 440 or 400: If file permissions issues were causing the 403 Forbidden Error, your site should now start working again. 2. .htaccess FileKinsta uses the NGINX web server, so this potential issue doesn’t apply if you’re hosting your site at Kinsta because Kinsta sites do not have a .htaccess file. However, if you’re hosting elsewhere and your host uses the Apache web server, one common cause of the 403 Forbidden error is a problem in your site’s .htaccess file. The .htaccess file is a basic configuration file used by the Apache web server. You can use it to set up redirects, restrict access to all or some of your site, etc. Because it’s so powerful, even if a little mistake can cause a big issue, like the 403 Forbidden error. Rather than trying to troubleshoot the .htaccess file itself, a simpler solution is to just force WordPress to generate a new, clean .htaccess file. To do that:
Now, you should be able to access your WordPress site if your .htaccess file was the issue. To force WordPress to generate a new, clean .htaccess file:
And that’s it – WordPress will now generate a new .htaccess file for you. 3. Deactivate and then Reactivate Your PluginsIf neither your site’s file permissions nor .htaccess file are the problems, the next place to look is your plugins. It could be a bug in a plugin or a compatibility issue between different plugins. No matter what the issue is, the easiest way to find the problematic plugin is with a little trial and error. Specifically, you’ll need to deactivate all of your plugins and then reactivate them one by one until you find the culprit. If you can still access your WordPress dashboard, you can perform this process from the normal Plugins area. If you cannot access your WordPress dashboard, you’ll instead need to connect to your WordPress site’s server via FTP/SFTP (here’s how to connect via SFTP at Kinsta). Once you’re connected to your server via FTP:
By renaming the folder, you’ve effectively disabled all the plugins at your site. Now, try accessing your site again. If your site is working, you know that one of your plugins is causing the 403 Forbidden error. To find the culprit, reactivate your plugins one-by-one until you find which plugin is causing the issue. After changing the file name of the plugins folder, you should see a number of errors that say plugin file does not exist when you go to the Plugins area on your site: To fix this issue and regain the ability to manage your plugins, use your FTP program to change the name of the folder back to plugins. So, if you renamed it to plugins-disabled, just change it back to plugins. Once you do that, you’ll see the full list of all your plugins again. Only now, they’ll all be deactivated: Use the Activate button to reactivate them one-by-one. Once you find the plugin that’s causing the issue, you
can either reach out to the plugin’s developer for help or choose an alternate plugin that accomplishes the same thing (we’ve collected the best WordPress plugins here). 4. Deactivate CDN TemporarilyIf you’re getting 403 forbidden errors on your assets (images, JavaScript, CSS), it could be a problem with your content delivery network (CDN). In this case, we recommend temporarily disabling your CDN and then checking your site to see if it works. If you’re a Kinsta client, click into your site and then on the “Kinsta CDN” tab. Once there, toggle the “Kinsta CDN” button off. 5. Check to See If Hotlink Protection Is MisconfiguredHotlinking is when someone adds an image to their site, but the hosted link is still pointed to someone else’s site. To prevent this, some will set up what is called “hotlink protection” with their WordPress host or CDN provider. When hotlink protection is enabled, it will typically return a 403 forbidden error. This is normal. However, if you’re seeing a 403 forbidden error on something you shouldn’t be, check to make sure hotlink protection is configured properly. Still Having Issues? Reach Out to Your Hosting ProviderIf none of the above solutions worked for you, then we recommend reaching out to your hosting provider. They can most likely help you pinpoint the issue and get you back up and running. If you’re a Kinsta client, open up a support ticket with our team. We are available 24/7. SummaryThe 403 Forbidden error means that your server is working, but you no longer have permission to view all or some of your site for some reason. The two most likely causes of this error are issues with your WordPress site’s file permissions or .htaccess file. Beyond that, some plugin issues might also cause the 403 Forbidden error. Or it could be that something is misconfigured with hotlink protection or your CDN. By following the troubleshooting steps in this guide, you should be able to get your site back to working in no time. Save time, costs and maximize site performance with:
All of that and much more, in one plan with no long-term contracts, assisted migrations, and a 30-day-money-back-guarantee. Check out our plans or talk to sales to find the plan that’s right for you. How do I fix failed to load the resource The server responded with a status 403 Forbidden?Check the Requested URL
The most common cause of a 403 Forbidden Error is simply inputting an incorrect URL. As discussed before, many tightly secured web servers disallow access to improper URLs. This could be anything from accessing a file directory to accessing a private page meant for other users.
How do you fix the error failed to load resource the server responded with a status of 404 ()?The only way to fix this is to make sure that the CSS and JS files are properly linked within the HTML. Check whether the folder, file and directory name of these files are spelt correctly. Another way to fix this is by using an absolute URL instead of a relative URL.
How do I fix failed to load resources?How to Fix the “Failed to Load Resource: net::ERR_BLOCKED_BY_CLIENT” Error. Reset Your Browser to the Default Settings. We'll start with a common issue: your browser. ... . Rename Any Problematic Files. ... . Debug Your Page Using an Ad Blocker. ... . Allowlist the Website (If You're a Visitor). What does the HTTP 403 response status code mean?The HTTP 403 Forbidden response status code indicates that the server understands the request but refuses to authorize it. This status is similar to 401 , but for the 403 Forbidden status code re-authenticating makes no difference.
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