HTTP Error 403, better known as Forbidden , is one of the most common errors not only on the Internet, but also from programs and applications such as aTube Catcher. The solution, as is often the case with other similar errors, depends entirely on whether we are users or administrators of the website. Whatever our case, this time we will see the origin of the aforementioned error and its possible solution through various methods to solve Error 403 in our Chrome, Firefox or Edge browser.
What is Error 403 Forbidden
Error 403, like Error 401, is an HTTP type error whose origin has to do with the lack of permissions to a certain file or folder . That is to say, a certain page does not display its content because the server is protecting the file of the page in question through restrictive permissions.
Generally, this error usually comes from the client's part , and its solution, unlike 500 type errors, will not take us more than five minutes, although again this depends on whether we are simple navigators or the website in question is our own. . It is also not ruled out that the web server generates the type 400 error, although this is not usually the most common.
Causes of Error 403
The causes of this error can be varied. Generally, the most common causes of this are usually related to the following:
- Misspelled URL (for example, www.yourxperto.com/whatspp/ instead of www.tuexperto.com/whataspp/ )
- Incorrect htaccess file permissions
- The browser is not sending the correct data, either because these are old (cache or outdated cookies) or because the page no longer exists
- Incompatible plugins if we have WordPress as CMS
Solution to Error 403 if we are navigators
If we are navigators and the error in question appears on pages such as Google Drive, Tax Agency (Treasury) or aTube Catcher, the only thing we can do is check if the URL is correct and clean the browsing data of the browser in question. In the case of Google Chrome, we can clear the cache and cookies by clicking on the three Options points in the upper right, clicking on More tools and selecting Clear browsing data .
Finally we will give Clear data to eliminate both the cache and the browser cookies . After restarting the browser, we will access the page in question again. This same process is similar in other browsers such as Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge.
If the error persists after clearing the cache and cookies, then it is a web page error that we will not be able to fix unless we own it.
Solution to HTTP Error 403 if we own the web
In the case that we are the owners of the page, the possible solutions depend entirely on the origin of the problem. The ease of resolution, as in other similar errors, will depend on our knowledge of web page management and the CMS we use.
Check file and folder permissions (WordPress)
The first step that we must follow will be to check the permissions of the public_html folder in the case that we have WordPress. This folder is accessible through an FTP exchange program (for example, FileZilla), and its location is usually located at the root of the server , as we can see in the image below. Before accessing we will have to obtain the IP address and password of our server, which are usually indicated on the website of our hosting (1and1, one.com, hostinger ...).
Once the folder in question is located, we will right click on it and click on File Permissions . To correct the error in question, we will have to provide the following permissions to files and folders and subdirectories:
- Folders, directories and subdirectories : 755
- Other files : 644
To do this, we will write the corresponding permission in the Numeric Value box and save the value in each type of element.
In the case of permission 755, we will check the box for Apply only to directories and we will click Save.
For the rest of the files, we will again right click on the public_html folder and we will mark the 644 permission and the Apply only to files box .
Reset the htaccess file
The second possible cause of the error in question can be due to the htaccess file, which is responsible for managing all the permissions of the web pages, among other things. We can access this asset from the panel options of our hosting (for example one.com, hostinger ...) or through FTP programs. In this case, it is usually located in the previous public_html folder or in the root of the server, as can be seen in the image below.
When we have located it, we will copy the file to our computer as a backup copy and delete it. If the error has been fixed, we can re-generate an htaccess file through the Permalinks option within WordPress Settings .
We just have to click on the option in question and click Save changes without making any changes so that WordPress generates a clean htaccess file free of 403 errors.
Review the plugins that we have installed lately
Whether in WordPress or Prestashop, Error 403 may have its origin in a plugin that we have recently installed. Often plugins related to web security (for example, plugins that change the address of the URL to access the administration panel) tend to generate errors of type 400.
The best way to check if it is a plugin is to deactivate each of the plugins on our website one by one and check if the page in question still shows the error. In the case of WordPress, we can access the complete list in the Plugins section; specifically in the option of Installed Plugins.
To deactivate them, we will only have to click on the Deactivate option . We will then check if the error persists.
Other errors identified by Tuexperto.com
- Error 401 Authorization Required
- HTTP error 500
- Error 503 Service Temporal and Unavailable
- Error 502 Bad Gateway
- Error 404 Page Not Found