403 forbidden error is one of the HTTP status codes that indicate the user attempting a forbidden action, requiring an account of such sort, or not having the required permissions for a resource. The user will not be able to access the website content to some extent of time until it is properly configured.
This issue could happen on any WordPress website and would soon have a direct impact on your web visitors if it is not fixed promptly. The article will help you understand this error and its causes so you can identify the basic problems and solve them in advance.
What is the 403 Error in WordPress?
As soon as you use your browser to access a website, the server will reply with a different numerical HTTP status code if something goes wrong. These numbers are pretty significant since they allow you to pinpoint precisely what's wrong with your site.
The 403 error in WordPress, also known as a forbidden error, appears when the authorization settings on your WordPress website are misconfigured.
The server understood the request but refused to authorize it. You might find various 403 error messages, yet they usually will give you a hint that you are either “forbidden” or “no permission to access” a website.
What Triggers the 403 Forbidden Errors?
Misconfiguration of the authorization settings or access permission is potentially the main trigger of the 403 forbidden errors. In WordPress, there are some possibilities of misconfiguration that can lead to the 403 error. They are as followings:
Plugin Problems
Invalid File Permission
.htaccess File Issues
Undetected Index File
Incorrect IP Address
Hotlink Protection Setup
Plugin Problems
When the plugin code is written inconsistently with your WordPress version or not keeping in tune with the WordPress coding standards or requirements, there will be more chance for plugin conflict as different plugins may become incompatible with one another. Accordingly, you would notice some conditions or errors including the 403 forbidden errors on your site depending on the level of the plugin conflict or found bug.
Invalid File Permission
The permission access level for each file and folder would determine whether the content is writable, executable, or readable. If the configuration of the permission access on the server is incorrect, it will display the 403 error for any user trying to access a website.
.htaccess file Issues
Several types of .htaccess file issues can result in 403 errors. Once the .htacces rules go wrong due to malware infection, or it tries to force a specific PHP version, the forbidden 403 error would likely happen.
Undetected Index File
For some reason, the index file) can be undetected, possibly because it is corrupted, not found in the WordPress website’s root folder, or has an incorrect file name.
Incorrect IP Address
The WordPress security plugins might block the IP address, which can cause the 403 error. Another thing that can cause the error is when the domain name refers to the wrong IP address.
Hotlink Protection Setup
Another improper configuration that can lead to 403 forbidden errors is the Hotlink Protection on the CDN or hosting server. This Hotlink Protection feature is offered to protect direct linking to images or media files in general.
6 Steps to Fix the 403 Forbidden Error in WordPress
Depending on what triggers the 403 forbidden error in your WordPress website, you can try to use one of these techniques to help you detect the source of the issues and fix the error later on.
Deactivate Installed WordPress Plugins
Setting Up the Correct File Permission
Check the .htaccess File
Upload the Proper Index FIle
Inspect the IP Address Configuration
Disable Hotlink Protection
1. Deactivate Installed WordPress Plugins
If there’s any suspicion that the WordPress plugin is the main cause of the 403 error, especially if you just installed a new one, you can just deactivate it and see if the error persists. These steps might be required since there’s no way to access the WordPress admin.
Go to the File Manager in CPanel or use FTP clients, such as CuteFTP or FileZilla.
Access the public_html folder and then the wp-content folder
Rename the newly installed plugin folder with any name to deactivate it
Reload your website page in the browser and see if it works
