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Home / HTTP errors / 403 Forbidden
HTTP error

403 Forbidden

The server understood the request and refuses to fulfil it.

What it means

The server knows what you are asking for and will not allow it. Unlike 401, logging in again usually does not help: the identity, address or request is not permitted to access this resource.

Common causes

  • Wrong file or folder permissions on the server
  • A firewall or WAF rule blocking the request
  • An IP address or country that is blocked
  • A folder with no index file and directory listing turned off
  • An account without the required role

How to fix it

If you are a visitor

  • Check that the address is the one you meant to open
  • Log in with an account that has access
  • Try another network if your IP address may be blocked

If you run the site

  • Check file permissions and ownership
  • Look through your firewall, WAF and CDN logs for the blocked request
  • Check the access rules in .htaccess or your server configuration
  • Allow your monitoring locations so that checks are not blocked

Catch it before your users do

You can check the status code of any address right now. To hear about 403 errors as they happen, an HTTP(S) monitor requests the page around the clock, compares the response with the status codes you expect and alerts you when it does not match.

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