Fixing 403 Forbidden Error in WordPress

403 Forbidden error in WordPress

When users attempt to access their WordPress site, they frequently experience the 403 forbidden error. When the WordPress web server denies your request to access a page or some data, the browser displays this HTTP status code.

It's important to identify the root cause of the problem before talking about possible solutions. Let's look at some of the potential reasons why the 403 Forbidden WordPress error might appear.

WordPress 403 Forbidden Error: Common Causes

As we already mentioned, there are several situations in which the WordPress 403 forbidden error can appear. the following are them:

• Wrong file permissions

• Inadequately set up security plugins

• Damaged.htaccess file

• Issues with CDN and hotlink protection

Your web host may occasionally unintentionally alter the server settings. This may also be a contributing factor in the occurrence of the WordPress 403 Forbidden Error.

Anyway, let's talk about how to solve the problem now. You should make sure to take a complete backup of the data on your WordPress site before beginning the troubleshooting process.

How to Fix the 403 Forbidden WordPress Error?

• Wrong file permissions

On your WordPress server, each file has file permissions that help limit who can access files and folders. WordPress's webserver may return a 403 forbidden error due to improper file permissions. This error indicates that the specific file you requested is not currently available. By establishing an FTP connection to your WordPress website, you can change the file permissions to fix the problem.

The read, write and execute permissions are represented by a three-digit number. On the site server, each file and folder has three permissions assigned to it for the three types of owners, namely user, group, and others.

Therefore, the folder's default permission status will be 744 or 755, which allows the owner to read, write, and execute while also granting groups and the general public read permission.

The numerical values represent:

7- Full read, write and execute access
6- For read and write access
5- Read and execute access
4- only read access
0- No access rights

If the three-digit folder permission code is 764, for example, that means the public only has read access and the group and user both have access to read and write data (4).

You can fix the WordPress 403 forbidden error caused by incorrect file permission by changing this permission code.

Methods for Modifying the Permission Code

The directory permission can be altered by

• FTP is a way to connect to your WordPress website.

• Go to the root directory.

• The "file permission" option can be accessed by right-clicking the button and selecting it.

• Change the number in the permissions box to the appropriate values.

• Your WordPress site's folders should all have file permissions of 744 or 755.

• Recurse into subdirectories should be checked.

• Check the "Apply to directories" box.

To modify a file's permissions,

• FTP is a way to connect to your WordPress website.

• Go to where the file is located.

• Choose "file permission" from the right-click menu by clicking the button.

• The file permission box's numerical value should be changed to reflect your preferences.

• The file permission for every file on your WordPress website should be 644 or 640.

• Recurse into subdirectories should be checked.

• Toggle the "apply to files only" checkbox.

The wrong permission code changes can have serious repercussions. If you are unfamiliar with something, it is best to seek advice from any server management company.

• Poorly Configured Security Plugins

A WordPress website's 403 Forbidden error may also be brought on by improperly configured plugins. Try turning off all the recently installed plugins to see if that helps. Now see if the website is operating properly. If the website is operating normally right now, a plugin may have been the root of the problem.

From the WordPress dashboard, return to the plugins page and attempt to reactivate each recently deactivated plugin one at a time. After each plugin has been activated, visit the website. Replace it with a different plugin that performs the same function once you've identified the offending plugin.

• Invalid.htaccess File

A damaged.htaccess file is one of the causes of the WordPress 403 forbidden error. An FTP manager makes downloading the.htaccess file simple. After downloading the file, delete the original copy from the server and check to see if the error is fixed or if it recurs.

If the problem is fixed, there's a chance that the error was caused by a corrupted.htaccess file on your website. You can now make changes to the file and upload it again.

On the other hand, if the problem persists even after you remove the.htaccess file, there may be additional underlying causes for the 403 forbidden error.

• Issues With CDN & Hotlink Protection

Your Content Delivery Network (CDN) issue is another factor that contributes to 403 forbidden errors. Try momentarily deactivating your CDN to address this problem.

Another factor contributing to the occurrence of a 403 forbidden error in WordPress is hotlinking protection. A website can link to an image that is hosted on another website by a practice known as hotlinking. The majority of the time, people view this as a way to avoid violating any copyright laws. However, some websites may set up "hotlink protection" with their CDN provider or web host to avoid this. Hotlink protection enabled may result in a 403 forbidden error.