How to Fix HTTP 403 Forbidden Error

• 14 March 2023
• ThunderVM Team
• Hosting, Information Technology

Are you experiencing a 403 Forbidden error when trying to access a website? Don’t worry; this issue can be easily fixed. The HTTP 403 Forbidden error occurs when the server refuses to grant access to a particular resource or webpage. In this blog post, we will explain what causes this error and provide solutions for fixing it on different web servers, including Nginx, Apache2, and httpd.

Understanding HTTP 403 Forbidden Error

HTTP 403 Forbidden error is an HTTP status code that indicates that the server understands the request but refuses to authorize access to the requested resource. This error typically occurs when the server administrator has restricted access to the resource or if the resource itself is unavailable. Some common causes of HTTP 403 Forbidden error include:

• Incorrect file permissions
• Misconfigured server settings
• IP address blocking
• Missing index files
• Incorrect authentication settings

Fixing HTTP 403 Forbidden Error for Nginx

If you are using Nginx as your web server, you can fix the HTTP 403 Forbidden error by modifying the Nginx configuration file. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Open the Nginx configuration file in a text editor. The file is usually located in the /etc/nginx/ directory.
2. Locate the server block that corresponds to the website or resource that is producing the error.
3. Add the following code snippet within the server block:
4. Save the configuration file and restart Nginx using the following command:

location / {
    allow all;
}

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Fixing HTTP 403 Forbidden Error for Apache2

If you are using Apache2 as your web server, you can fix the HTTP 403 Forbidden error by modifying the Apache configuration file. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Open the Apache configuration file in a text editor. The file is usually located in the /etc/apache2/ directory.
2. Locate the Directory block that corresponds to the website or resource that is producing the error.
3. Add the following code snippet within the Directory block:
4. Save the configuration file and restart Apache2 using the following command:

Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride None
Require all granted

sudo systemctl restart apache2

Fixing HTTP 403 Forbidden Error for httpd

If you are using httpd as your web server, you can fix the HTTP 403 Forbidden error by modifying the httpd configuration file. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Open the httpd configuration file in a text editor. The file is usually located in the /etc/httpd/ directory.
2. Locate the Directory block that corresponds to the website or resource that is producing the error.
3. Add the following code snippet within the Directory block:
4. Save the configuration file and restart httpd using the following command:

Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride None
Require all granted

sudo systemctl restart httpd

Conclusion

HTTP 403 Forbidden error can be frustrating, but it is usually caused by easily fixable issues. In this blog post, we have provided solutions for fixing this error on different web servers, including Nginx, Apache2, and httpd. By following the steps outlined above, you should be able to resolve the error and regain access to the restricted resource.