How to Solve 403 Forbidden Error in WordPress: 9 Methods Explained With Steps

Encountering a 403 Forbidden Error on your WordPress website can be frustrating and confusing, especially when you’re unsure of the cause.

This error usually indicates a permissions issue, preventing you and your visitors from accessing certain areas of your site. In many cases, it can result from incorrect file permissions, a faulty plugin, or a misconfigured .htaccess file, making it essential to troubleshoot carefully.

In this guide, we’ll explore the common causes of the 403 Forbidden Error in WordPress and provide different solutions recommended by our WordPress development experts to help you restore access to your website. Let’s dive in!

What is 403 Forbidden Error in WordPress?

The 403 Forbidden error occurs when your web server refuses to grant access to a specific page or resource on your WordPress site. Essentially, the server is telling you (or your visitors) that you don’t have the proper permissions to view the requested content. This issue often arises due to incorrect file permissions, but other factors like server configurations or authentication issues can also trigger it.

You might encounter this error when trying to log in to your WordPress admin dashboard, accessing a particular page, or even during the WordPress installation process. The 403 Forbidden error is an HTTP status code that servers use to communicate with your browser, indicating a permissions problem.

Common messages associated with the 403 Forbidden error are:

• “HTTP 403 Forbidden – Access to this resource on the server is denied.”
• “HTTP Error 403 – Forbidden.”
• “Forbidden – You don’t have permission to access [directory name] on this server.”
• “You are not authorized to view this page.”
• “Access Denied.”

In some cases, you may also see messages like, “Access to [domain name] was denied. You don’t have authorization to view this page.” Each of these variations essentially points to the same underlying issue: the server is blocking access to the content you’re trying to view.

Causes of WordPress 403 Forbidden Error

The 403 Forbidden Error can arise from various underlying issues. So it is often challenging to pinpoint the exact cause immediately. Here are the most common factors that can trigger this error on your WordPress site:

• Incorrect File Permissions: File permissions determine who can access, modify, or execute files on your server. Incorrect settings may block access and cause a 403 error.
• Faulty or Conflicting Plugins: Security or access-related plugins can sometimes block access unintentionally, especially if there’s a conflict or misconfiguration.
• Corrupted .htaccess File: The .htaccess file manages permissions and redirects. A corrupted file can block access, but regenerating it often resolves this.
• IP Blocking or Deny Rules: IP blocks set by security plugins or server rules can restrict access from specific IPs, causing a 403 error.
• Hotlink Protection: Misconfigured hotlink protection may block legitimate requests to your own content, leading to a 403 error.
• Server Misconfiguration: Hosting or server settings can sometimes trigger this error unintentionally. These issues often require help from your hosting provider.
• Authentication Issues: Certain files or content may require user authentication. Problems with login credentials or authentication plugins can result in a 403 error.

Understanding these potential causes can help you troubleshoot the issue more effectively. In the next section, we’ll explore solutions to each of these causes to help you resolve the 403 Forbidden error on your WordPress site.

How to Solve 403 Forbidden Error in WordPress?

After you have deduced the trigger behind the WordPress 403 forbidden error, you can follow one of these solutions accordingly. Here, we have listed 9 ways to fix the 403 forbidden error in WordPress.

1. Verify the .htaccess File

Here’s how you can solve 403 Forbidden Error in WordPress through the .htaccess configuration file:

Step 1: Access your WordPress file and directory structure through an FTP client like FileZilla or a hosting provider.

Step 2: Once you’re inside your site’s root directory, look for a file named “.htaccess.” This file is crucial for configuring various aspects of your WordPress site, including permalinks and redirects.

Step 3: To check if the .htaccess file is causing the 403 error, you’ll want to rename it. Right-click on the file, select “Rename,” and change its name to something like “.htaccess_old” or anything you prefer. Essentially, renaming this file removes its influence temporarily.

Step 4: After renaming the .htaccess file, try accessing your WordPress website again. If the 403 Forbidden Error was caused by a misconfiguration or rule in the .htaccess file, your site may now load correctly without the error.

Step 5: When you visit your site after renaming the .htaccess file, WordPress will detect that the file is missing and automatically generate a new one with default settings. This new file will be free from any potential issues in the old .htaccess file.

Step 6: If your site works without the error after renaming the .htaccess file, you can consider reconfiguring it. You may need to update your permalink settings or any custom rules you had in the old .htaccess file.

Start by going to the WordPress admin dashboard, navigating to “Settings” → “Permalinks,” and saving your preferred permalink structure.

If the error reappears after renaming the .htaccess file, a WordPress plugin or theme may be modifying it. In that case, we’ll investigate the issue further. 

2. Rollback to a Running Version From Your Hosting Backup

Another constant resolution for almost every WordPress error is restoring the backup. It can be an excellent way to troubleshoot the 403 forbidden error. It tells you that your website was working fine a while ago, so you can restore that version and get rid of that error. 

Before proceeding with a rollback, it’s essential to establish that your website was running without issues in the recent past. If you’ve recently made significant changes, such as updating themes and plugins, or making configuration modifications, and the 403 error occurred shortly after, a rollback can be a viable solution.

Here’s how you do it.

Step 1: Reach out to the support team of the hosting provider through their customer portal, chat, or ticket system. Inform them about the 403 Forbidden Error and your intention to roll back your website to a previous working version.

Step 2: When communicating with the WordPress hosting provider, be sure to specify the date or time frame when your website was known to be running correctly.

Step 3: Before proceeding with the rollback, it’s a good practice to create a backup of your current website if possible. You can use a WordPress backup plugin, such as UpdraftPlus or your hosting provider’s backup tools for this purpose.

Step 4: After the rollback is complete, visit your website to verify if the 403 Forbidden Error in WordPress has been resolved. If the error was caused by recent changes or misconfigurations, rolling back to a known working version should eliminate the issue.

Step 5: If your website is functioning correctly after the rollback, you can start reapplying the changes that you suspect might have triggered the 403 error. Do this one change at a time, and after each change, check your website to ensure it’s still working as expected.

This cautious approach helps you identify the specific cause of the error.

Step 6: To avoid future occurrences of the 403 Forbidden Error, take steps to ensure that changes to your website, such as theme and plugin updates, are thoroughly tested in a staging environment before implementing them to your live site.

Regularly backup your site and keep plugins, themes, and WordPress itself up to date to benefit from security patches and bug fixes. Make sure you communicate with your hosting provider and take precautions to minimize the risk of data loss during the rollback process.

3. Reset File and Directory Permissions

File and directory permissions control who can access, modify, or execute files and folders on your server. In a WordPress context, these permissions are critical for ensuring that the web server can serve your site’s content correctly.

The 403 forbidden error caused by incorrect file permissions can be resolved as mentioned below.

Step 1: To reset file and directory permissions, you’ll need to access your site’s root directory using FTP (File Transfer Protocol) or your WordPress hosting provider’s file manager.

Step 2: Identify which files or directories may have incorrect file permissions that are causing the 403 error.

Common permissions for directories are 755, while files should typically have permissions set to 644.

Step 3: Use your FTP client or file manager to reset permissions for directories that might be causing the issue. Right-click on a directory, select “File Permissions” or “File Attributes” and set it to 755. Make sure to apply these changes recursively to all subdirectories if prompted.

Step 4: Similarly, reset permissions for individual files that might be problematic. Right-click on a file, select “File Permissions” or “Change Permissions,” and set it to 644.

Step 5: After resetting permissions, visit your WordPress site to check if the 403 Forbidden Error has been resolved. If incorrect permissions were indeed the cause, your site should load without issues.

If resetting permissions doesn’t resolve the issue, you may want to double-check specific directories or files that are known to be sensitive, such as the wp-config.php file. This file should typically have permissions set to 600.

To prevent future 403 errors related to the file permission, avoid changing it or the ownership settings without a clear understanding of their implications. Be cautious when using plugins or scripts that modify permissions, and regularly update your WordPress core, themes, and plugins to benefit from security enhancements and bug fixes.

4. Disable WordPress Plugins

Deactivating the plugins is one of the best ways to solve 403 forbidden error in WordPress. Let’s see how this process goes.

Step 1: Log into your WordPress admin dashboard with your website credentials.

Step 2: Once you’re logged in, go to the “Plugins” section located in the left-hand sidebar of your WordPress dashboard. This is where you can manage and deactivate plugins.

Step 3: Tick the checkbox at the top to select all plugins or manually select each one. Then, choose “Deactivate” from the “Bulk Actions” dropdown menu and click the “Apply” button.

After deactivating all plugins, visit your website to see if the 403 Forbidden Error has been resolved. If it has, it means that one or more of your plugins were likely causing the issue.

Step 4: Now, to identify the specific plugin causing the error, reactivate your plugins one at a time, and after each activation, check your website. This process helps you pinpoint the problematic plugin.

Let’s say you have identified that the problem behind the 403 forbidden error is a plugin conflict. Then you will have three options:

• Check for Plugin Updates: Outdated plugins can sometimes cause compatibility issues. Ensure that the problematic plugin is up to date. If not, update it and check if the error is resolved.
• Look for Alternatives: If the plugin causing the error is not essential or if you find it consistently problematic, consider looking for alternative plugins that serve the same purpose.
• Contact the Plugin Developer: If the plugin is critical to your website but it’s causing the 403 error, get in touch with the plugin’s developer or support team. They may be able to provide guidance on how to solve 403 forbidden error in WordPress or release a fix for the same.

You can also opt for our WordPress plugin development services. Our experts will analyze the plugin and try to improve it to solve 403 forbidden error in WordPress.

If you want to prevent the 403 error due to a plugin conflict, make sure you install the WordPress plugins only from trusted sources, regularly update them, and keep the number of plugins installed on the website to as minimum as possible.

5. Upload an Index Page

An index page, often called “index.php”, serves as the default landing page for a directory on a web server. So when someone accesses a directory without specifying a particular file in the URL (e.g., “www.yourwebsite.com/my-directory/”), the server looks for an index page to display.

Here’s how you can fix the 403 forbidden error in WordPress by uploading an index page. 

Step 1: Access your WordPress root directory through an FTP client or host’s file manager. 

Step 2: Now, either use an existing index page (from a previous backup or template) or create a new one using a text or code editor like Notepad or Visual Studio Code. The index page should be saved as “index.php”.

Step 3: Use the FTP client or host file manager to locate the directory where you’re encountering the 403 Forbidden Error (it could be the root directory or a particular subdirectory). Then, upload the index page to that directory. 

If there’s already an index file in that directory, consider replacing it with the new one.

Step 4: After uploading the index page, visit your website and check if the 403 Forbidden Error has been resolved. If it hasn’t, maybe the issue is related to the .htaccess misconfigurations or security settings. 

Regularly check your WordPress website’s directory structure to ensure that essential index pages are in place, especially if you’ve made changes to your server or site structure. And be cautious when altering server configurations or directory permissions. These changes tend to directly impact how your index page functions.

6. Edit File Ownership

File ownership of WordPress websites refers to the user and group associated with files and directories on your server. Correct file ownership is crucial for proper server operation and can impact who can access, modify, or execute those files and directories.

Step 1: First, identify which files or directories may have incorrect ownership settings that are causing the 403 error. Common files to check include the core WordPress files, such as “index.php” and “wp-config.php,” as well as directories like the “wp-content” folder.

Step 2: To edit file ownership, access your WordPress site’s root directory using FTP or hosting’s file manager. 

Step 3: Check the ownership settings (they may vary depending on the server configuration). Make sure the user and group ownership match the user under which the web server (like Apache or Nginx) runs.

You can often find this information in your hosting account details or by contacting your hosting provider’s support.

Step 4: Locate the files or directories with incorrect ownership settings. Right-click on the file or directory. Then select “File Permissions” or “Change Permissions”. Then, look for an option to change the owner or group.

Check your server configurations and change the owner and group to the correct values. 

Step 5: After editing file ownership settings, visit your website to check if the 403 Forbidden Error has been resolved. 

This method should solve 403 forbidden error in WordPress if the issue was caused by the file ownership settings. But if this 403 error persists, I recommend you hire dedicated WordPress developers. They have the skills and resources to take care of this issue effectively. 

7. Verify the A Record

An A record, or Address record, is a DNS record type that maps a domain name to an IP address. In the context of a 403 Forbidden Error in WordPress, verifying the A record involves ensuring that your domain name correctly points to the IP address of your web server.

Here’s how you can try and fix the 403 forbidden error in WordPress by verifying the A record. 

Step 1: First off, access your domain registrar’s control panel, where you manage the DNS settings. 

Step 2: Inside the DNS settings, locate the section labeled “DNS Management”, “DNS Settings”, or maybe something similar.

Step 3: Review the A record associated with your domain name and see if the record points to the correct IP of your web server. (the correct IP can be obtained from the host provider’s account.)

Step 4: If the A record is incorrect or outdated, you’ll need to update it. Edit the A record to ensure it reflects the correct IP address of your web server. But be careful when making these changes. Incorrect DNS settings can disrupt your website’s accessibility.

Note: DNS changes may take some time to propagate across the internet. This propagation time can vary, but it typically ranges from a few minutes to 48 hours. During this period, users might still experience the 403 error if their DNS caches haven’t been updated.

Step 5: After updating the A record or verifying its correctness, visit your website to check if the 403 Forbidden Error has been resolved. If the DNS records are accurate, your domain should correctly point to your web server, allowing visitors to access your site.

In some cases, users might still encounter the 403 error due to cached DNS information on their devices or internet service providers. So, I advise you to clear the DNS cache or wait for the cache to expire naturally.

Make sure you regularly review your DNS settings and keep them up to date, especially if you make changes to your hosting environment or domain registration. Timely updates and accurate DNS records help ensure seamless access to your WordPress site.

8. Scan for Malware

As you may already know, malware can harm, exploit, or compromise computer systems, including websites. It can also lead to issues like the 403 Forbidden Error. But don’t worry; you can take care of it via the following process: 

Step 1: Choose a reputable malware scanning tool or WordPress security plugin, like Sucuri or Wordfence, and install it on your WordPress website.

Step 2: Perform a full site scan using the tool or plugin. That involves inspecting all files, directories, and database entries on your website for any signs of malware or suspicious activity.

Step 3: After the scan is complete, review the detailed report by the tool to identify any detected malware or potential security issues.

Step 4: If the scan identifies malware or suspicious files, take action to remove or quarantine them. Most malware scanning tools offer options to clean infected files automatically or guide you through the process of manual removal.

Step 5: After removing the malware, make sure to implement additional WordPress security techniques to prevent future infections.

That includes regularly updating the WordPress core, plugins, and themes, strengthening the login credentials, limiting login attempts, installing firewall, and more.

Step 6: Now, test your WordPress website again to see if it has fixed the 403 forbidden error. 

If the malware scan doesn’t resolve the 403 error, or if you’re unsure about dealing with the malware yourself, consider seeking assistance from a WordPress development company. Their expertise with website security optimization can help solve 403 forbidden error in WordPress.

9. Clear Your Web History/Cache

This quick fix is for the website owners as well as the users. When you use a browser for WordPress development, it stores a cache of the web pages, images, and other resources from your website. The purpose is to speed up subsequent visits to those websites by loading cached content instead of downloading everything again.

Step 1: Access the browser settings and look for an option to clear your browsing history. This action will remove records of websites you’ve visited, cookies, and cached content. 

You can typically select the time range for which you want to clear history (e.g., the last hour, day, week, or all history).

Step 2: After clearing your browser’s history and cache, close and reopen your web browser to ensure that the changes take effect.

Step 3: Once your browser is reopened, visit your WordPress site to check if the 403 Forbidden Error has been resolved.

Step 4: If you’re still encountering the error after clearing your browser cache, try accessing your site in “Incognito” mode (Google Chrome) or “Private Browsing” mode (Firefox). This mode doesn’t use cached data, allowing you to see the website as a first-time visitor.

You may also try to clear the WordPress cache to solve 403 forbidden error in WordPress effectively. 

Step 5: If you’re using a caching plugin on your WordPress site (e.g., W3 Total Cache, WP Super Cache), consider clearing the cache through the plugin’s settings.

I recommend you encourage your website visitors to periodically clear their browser cache if they encounter issues on your site. Additionally, optimize your WordPress site’s caching settings to ensure that cached content is updated regularly.

10. Check Your Site’s Hotlink Protection

Hotlink protection is a feature that prevents other websites from using your site’s media files, like images, directly on their own site. This tool is useful for conserving bandwidth and server resources by blocking external sites from displaying your images without permission. It’s particularly helpful for preventing misuse of your content on platforms like Google Images or Pinterest.

However, if hotlink protection is not configured correctly on your hosting or Content Delivery Network (CDN), it can accidentally block legitimate access to your files, triggering a 403 Forbidden Error. This often happens when the hotlink protection settings inadvertently restrict access to your own site’s content.

To resolve this issue:

• Review your hotlink protection settings in your hosting or CDN dashboard and ensure they’re configured properly.
• Contact your web hosting provider if you’re unsure about the settings or need assistance. They can guide you through the configuration to ensure it won’t interfere with your site’s accessibility.

Setting up hotlink protection accurately and carefully is crucial to avoid unintentional access restrictions on your site.

I understand it can be a little challenging to keep up with these solutions to 403 forbidden error in WordPress. So, if you are uncomfortable with some of the more technical fixes to this 403 error, I suggest you opt for our WordPress website maintenance packages. With these packages, our experts will help resolve any error that may occur on your website and maintain it with security and performance as the prime focus. 

FAQs on How to Solve 403 Forbidden Error in WordPress

How do I avoid 403 Forbidden error?

To avoid the 403 Forbidden error, ensure your file permissions are set correctly, avoid using conflicting plugins, and set up hotlink protection carefully. Regularly check your site’s settings and work with your hosting provider to keep everything configured properly.

What is the difference between 403 Forbidden and unauthorized?

A 403 Forbidden error means the server understands your request but refuses to allow access. An Unauthorized error (401) means you need to log in or provide credentials to access the resource.

Why would clearing my browser cache help resolve a 403 error?

Clearing your browser cache removes cached copies of website resources. Sometimes, outdated or corrupted cached data can cause access issues, including the 403 error. Clearing the cache ensures that your browser retrieves fresh data from the website.

To Conclude

Dealing with the 403 Forbidden Error in WordPress can be frustrating, but it’s a manageable issue with the right approach. By understanding the common causes, you can systematically troubleshoot and resolve the error, restoring access to your site.

Each method outlined in this guide can help you pinpoint and address the root of the problem. However, if you’re still experiencing issues, don’t hesitate to contact your hosting provider or a WordPress expert for further assistance. With patience and the proper steps, you can resolve the 403 error and keep your site running smoothly for your visitors.

To make your WordPress site free of errors, trust our WordPress development experts.