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4 Major Causes: 403 Forbidden Wordpress Issue, Resolve Now!

403 forbidden wordpress

Have you got 403 forbidden WordPress on your screen? At first, you may find it intimidating. But, You’ll be surprised to know that the request is not denied because the server fails to recognize it. It thinks that the credentials to authenticate your request are insufficient

This HTTP status code comes in response to the client’s request. Fortunately, there are various ways to fix it. These methods are quick and easy to apply. Here, we’ll learn: 

Understanding What Is 403 Forbidden WordPress Error?

When you get the 403 forbidden error, understand that you’re denied access to the specific page or site you’re trying to access. 

Let’s take a look at the different forms of 403 forbidden error.

Why Is 403 Forbidden WordPress Denied Request?

There are several significant reasons why you might get the 403 forbidden error. 

  1. Accessing Private Content

The 403 error might occur if you’re trying to access private content. It can be a website that requires a subscription for access. Or can be anything temporary or behind-the-scenes website updates. 

  1. User restricted content

User-restricted content like libraries by schools or anything similar usually has a limited amount of content. That, only authenticated users have access to on the web.

  1. Geographically Restricted Content

Geographically restricted content mainly includes OTT platforms or an app or website. Anything that is accessible only if you’re living in that specific location. For instance, Hulu, YouTube, Netflix, etc. Now, if you’re wondering how the website finds it? It’s none but your IP address that tells about the geographical location of your system.

  1. Prohibited IP Address

There can be several reasons for prohibiting IP addresses. One of the most common is that if you have tried to log in multiple times and failed, you may get this error.

How Can You Troubleshoot and Fix This Error?

It will take a few minutes to troubleshoot the 403 forbidden error. Use these methods mentioned here. These are easy to understand and apply. 

Refresh the Page: 

The first step to troubleshoot the 403 forbidden WordPress error is refreshing the page. For that, tap right on the screen and select the reload option. Or you can press Ctrl + r on your keyword. 

See if it resolves the error. 

Disable WordPress Plugins:

If there is any defective or corrupted plugin, the error may occur. Thus, disable the WordPress plugin temporarily to see the result.

First, access your hosting account via FTP. Now, go to public_html > wp-content folder > find the plugin folder > Rename the folder (eg. disable-plugins). It’ll disable all the plugins at once. 

Now, try to reaccess the website. If it works, then you need to find the culprit plugin. You can try enabling the plugin n-by-one and see which one is causing the error. 

Edit File Permission:

Wrong file permission is a significant cause of this error, primarily if you use a Linus or VPS web hosting. You can assign files and folders to anyone. However, to edit the permission, you’ll need SSH access. In addition, you’ll also need an SSH terminal to connect to VPS. 

Once your website server is connected to SSH, check the ownership using the SSH command: 

Ls -1 [file name]

The result you’ll receive may look like this: 

rwxrw-rw- 1 [owner][group] 20 Jun 10 12:00 filename.txt

See the bold part above. The owner and the group part. If the hosting ownership is correct, it should have your hosting account’s username. 

But, if not, use this syntax to modify the ownership: 

chown [owner][:group] [file name]

Let’s say your username is XYZ, then: 

chown Xyz filename.txt

Wrapping up: 

We hope this post on 403 forbidden WordPress error is insightful for you. We suggest you apply the last method (edit file permission) if you have a technical understanding. Otherwise, you can contact your internet service provider for help.

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