There are various types of errors that you might often face while using your browser. These mainly show up when you try to access certain sites, and Error code 403 is one of them that users face quite commonly while surfing the web.
It simply tells you that the web page you’re trying to access is forbidden. But, it doesn’t give you any reason for it.
However, this issue isn’t as complicated as it might seem to you. There are some ways you can remove this error and continue browsing through the web. So, the upcoming information should help you with that.
10 Ways to Remove the 403 Forbidden Error
This error can affect site visitors as well as owners alike. So, both of them have to apply some methods to fix the issues on their part. Moreover, the problem is indeed on both sides in some cases. Also, site owners must not confuse this issue with the SSL error.
Now, here are some of the ways through which you can fix this error on your browser:
1. Reload the Site
The error that you’re facing is often a permanent one. In such cases, there might not be any way to remove it and continue to the site. But, in many cases, the 403 error on your browser is a temporary one. And, that means you can remove it if you find the right cause.
Now, sometimes it occurs due to an error with your browser. What do you do in such situations? In case you’re wondering, you simply have to refresh the page that you’re trying to reach. In many cases, this does the trick in solving the error.
Also, you must try this method before you move on to others. Thus, saving a significant amount of your time.
2. Verify the Address that You’re Using
Users might often type the wrong addresses on their search bars. In such cases, you’ll obviously get no results on your browser. Instead, you might see the 403 Forbidden error on your screen. You can get to the accurate web page only by using the correct address.
Did someone send you the URL of the website? In that case, you should ask them to send the correct one. Then, try reaching the web page again, and you shouldn’t face any issues this time.
3. Check if You’re Authorised to View the Web Page
Not all web pages are completely open and some of them require you to log in. Are you trying to view the contents of such a website? Then, you’ll see the 403 error code, if you’re doing so without logging in.
Therefore, you must go to the login page and access the web page through it. In case you aren’t registered, you’ll have to register to continue. Do you still face the error after doing that? Provided that you entered the right credentials, you need to try some other solutions.
4. Delete Browser Cookies and Cache Files
Cache and cookies are meant to improve your browsing experience. All browsers use them to enable faster and more convenient browsing. Cache files contain certain data from the sites that you’ve visited. Cookies contain all the information that helps a site identify you.
Now, these files often cause issues in your browser in some cases, which includes the 403 error code as well. So, how do you fix the problem in such situations? The only solution is deleting the cache and cookies from your browser.
5. Deactivate Plugins
You might use various software extensions with your web browser. Usually, they don’t cause many problems. But, they might often stop you from reaching a website. In such cases, you might see the 403 error code on your screen. In case you’re wondering, this might happen if the plugin identifies the site as a threat.
How do you remove the error in such a case? Disable the plugin and check if that does the trick. For that, you must go to your browser settings page. Once you’re done, refresh the web page and see if you can access it.
6. Reach Out to the Website Owner
In some cases, the owners might be unaware of the issue with their website. Now, you might decide to wait until they fix the issue. But, it’s better to reach out to the site owner, if you want a quick solution. There are probably other means to contact them apart from their website. So, let them know and report about the issue on their site, and wait until they fix it.
7. Check for Problems with Your Internet Connection
Do you face this error on one particular device while not on other devices? In that case, there might be an issue within your network. Thus, the site owner can’t help you out.
So, you must reach out to your service provider instead. Explain the problem to them and get an appropriate solution for it. After that, you should be able to reach the site, provided the issue associated with your internet connectivity.
8. Use a VPN
There are many reasons why you can’t access a particular website. In some cases, it might simply not be available in your region. In that case, you can’t access it unless you use a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
It’s quite an effective way to access a wide range of content that you can’t access. So, it might help you remove the 403 error code, provided that you’ve correctly identified the cause.
However, the terms of services of certain sites restrict you from using VPN to access them. Also, your country might ban the use of VPNs as well. So, in such cases, you might not want to use them.
9. Refresh the Hypertext Access File
Are you trying to fix the 403 error code on your own website? In that case, you must pay attention to your hypertext access file first. After all, it contains all the configurations related to accessing your website. In many cases, this file gets damaged and causes the 403 Forbidden error.
So, what do you do in such situations? In case you’re wondering, you simply need to refresh this file. For that, you must open the root directory of your website. Then, find and delete the .htaccess file and save the changes. After that, your site will automatically generate a new one.
10. Review Your File Permissions
You probably have uploaded various files to your website. Thus, you can configure who can view them and make changes to them. Now, in some cases, you might misconfigure these settings unknowingly. Also, this is quite a common cause behind the 403 error on the part of website owners.
How do you remove the error in this situation? For that, you must open your file directory. Then, you simply need to review the permissions you’ve selected and make the necessary changes.
What If You Can’t Fix the Issue by Any Means?
The above-mentioned methods should help you resolve error code 403 on your part. But, in case they don’t do the trick, the site might be restricted.
Also, it might even block you in some cases. Sometimes, the website owners might make it private for maintenance or other purposes. In such a case, you just need to wait until it goes public again.
