403 forbidden error is an HTTP status code in WordPress highlighting that the web server understands the request but cannot authorize it because of permission issues.
Additionally, client-side misconfigurations can become one of the major causes behind this HTTP error code.
Unfortunately, the 403 forbidden error can negatively impact your WordPress site by hampering crucial indicators like bounce rates and user experience.
This blog post will describe the 403 forbidden error and what you can do to avoid this annoying HTTP error in the future.
What Do You Mean By 403 Forbidden Error?
403 Forbidden error is a permission error that occurs for various reasons, including indexing issues, ownership issues, poorly coded plugins, etc. This HTTP status code appears on users’ screens when they try to access forbidden resources.
What Causes the 403 Forbidden Error in WordPress?
The 403 error occurs on WordPress websites due to issues such as incorrect file permissions, corrupt .htaccess files, and poorly coded plugins.
Examples of 403 Forbidden Error
Users can experience 403 forbidden errors in different ways, including:
- Forbidden
- 403 Forbidden
- HTTP Error 403 – Forbidden
- Error 403
- A 403 forbidden error occurred while using an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
- Forbidden: You don’t have permission to access [directory] on this server.
How to Fix the 403 Forbidden Error in WordPress?
You can bypass 403 errors on your WordPress site by following various methods. These helpful methods are:
- Clear Your Cache and Cookies.
- Check the .htaccess File.
- Correct Your File Permissions.
- Disable CDN (Content Delivery Network).
- Deactivate Plugins.
- Contact Your Hosting Service Provider.
NOTE: Always back up your entire WordPress site before implementing any troubleshooting method. When trying any troubleshooting method, you can quickly recover your WordPress site if something goes wrong.
Clear Your Cache and Cookies
Clearing your browser’s cache enables you to tackle 403 Forbidden errors in WordPress smartly. If you use the Google Chrome web browser, clear browser data, including cache in WordPress, by clicking the three dots in your browser’s top-right corner. This way, you can access the settings panel.
After clicking the three dots, click the option, Delete browsing data. Furthermore, you must choose options like Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, Cached images, and files. Doing so can resolve the 403 Forbidden error in WordPress once you click the Delete data option.
Similarly, you can remove advanced data by clicking the ‘Advanced’ data tab. You can select options like Download history, Cookies and other site data, Cached images and files, Browsing history, and more. You can fix 403 forbidden errors by clicking the Delete Data option.
Likewise, clearing cache and browsing data helps users remove the Err_Cache_Miss error in Google Chrome.
Check the .htaccess File
You can remove the 403 forbidden error by fixing the .htaccess file. For that reason, follow the below-mentioned steps:
- Log in to your server via an FTP client and go to the .htaccess file in the public_html.
- Right-click the .htaccess file and download it.
- Delete the .htaccess file once you download it to have a new backup of the file.
- Go to your browser and refresh your site to see if the 403 error code is removed.
If your issue is resolved, it validates your .htaccess file was corrupt.
If you want to create a new .htaccess file, log in to your WordPress area and go to the Settings > Permalinks page. Click the ‘Save Changes’ button so that WordPress can generate a new .htaccess file.
Correct Your File Permissions
You can bypass the 403 forbidden error by correcting your file permissions. To correct your file permissions, follow the steps described below:
- Connect to your WordPress site through the FTP client and go to the root folder, which contains all your WordPress files.
- Right-click public_html and then click the file permissions option.
- The numeric value in the Permission box must be 744 or 775.
- Check the box available next to ‘Recurse into subdirectories’. Check the option, ‘Apply to directories only,’ and click OK.
- Follow the same process for all files.
- The file permission must be 644 or 640.
- Choose Recurse into subdirectories > Apply to files only, and click OK.
Access your WordPress site to check if the 403 forbidden error is resolved.
Disable CDN (Content Delivery Network)
Content Delivery Network can cause the 403 forbidden error at times. Therefore, you should temporarily deactivate your CDN to avoid facing 403 errors.
A CDN (Content Delivery Network) typically functions like a middleman between sites’ servers and visitors. It helps visitors access cached content from geographically distributed locations worldwide.
Deactivate Plugins
Deactivating WordPress plugins allows website owners and developers to bypass the 403 forbidden error successfully. Therefore, you should temporarily deactivate your WordPress plugins to see if your issue is resolved.
If this is the case, one of the plugins has caused the 403 forbidden error on your site.
Contact Your Hosting Service Provider
If you have tried all the above-described methods but still experience the 403 forbidden errors, contacting a hosting service provider can help.
Fortunately, various hosting service providers help WordPress site owners solve the 403 error.
Do You Need Professional Help?
WPExperts is a WordPress development firm offering several results-driven services to businesses of various sizes globally. If you regularly face 403 forbidden errors on your WordPress site and want to fix them using the expertise of seasoned WordPress web developers, WPExperts is an excellent choice.
Through WordPress website maintenance services, you can bypass the 403 forbidden error and considerably enhance your site’s performance.
Wrapping Up
We expect you to like our blog post explaining the 403 forbidden error in WordPress. The 403 error code can hamper your website’s performance, disrupt its functionality, and lead to a poor user experience.
This HTTP error can have various causes, such as faulty WordPress plugins, corrupt .htaccess files, and incorrect file permissions. Therefore, you must regularly perform the above-explained methods to prevent 403 errors from hampering your WordPress sites.
Consequently, you can smartly tackle annoying issues, such as poor user experience, higher bounce rates, and more.
