Server Unable to Read Htaccess File, Denying Access to Be Safe Php

Feb 01, 2022

Domantas 1000.

8min Read

What Is the 403 Forbidden Error & How to Fix It (8 Methods Explained)

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Yous might encounter the 403 forbidden error when you visit an empty website directory or a specific page that has a permission error. This is considering most websites are set up to disallow directory browsing to prevent attackers from accessing sensitive files.

However, if you lot or your visitors encounter this mistake on your site, it's necessary to fix the issue or you may take a chance losing valuable traffic. Since its causes vary, there are many methods to resolve the 403 errors.

Nosotros will explain the different types of 403 forbidden errors, their possible causes, and likewise provide eight methods to fix the 403 forbidden mistake.

Error code	403 Forbidden Error
Error type	Client-side error
Error variations	Forbidden: You don't accept permission to access [directory] on this server HTTP Error 403 – Forbidden Error 403 – Forbidden 403 forbidden request forbidden by administrative rules 403 Forbidden Access Denied – Yous don't accept permission to access Error 403 HTTP 403 Forbidden
Error causes	Missing alphabetize page Broken WordPress plugin Wrong IP address Malware infection New web page link

• What Is a 403 Forbidden Fault?
• Causes of 403 Forbidden
• How to Fix the 403 Forbidden Error
  • 1. Bank check the .htaccess File
  • 2. Reset File and Directory Permissions
  • 3. Disable WordPress Plugins
  • 4. Upload an Index Page
  • 5. Edit File Ownership
  • 6. Verify the A Record
  • 7. Scan for Malware
  • 8. Clear Your Spider web History/Cache
• Troubleshooting Other 4xx Errors

What Is a 403 Forbidden Error?

403 Forbidden – yous don't have permission to access this resource is an HTTP condition code that occurs when the web server understands the request only tin can't provide boosted admission.

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Causes of 403 Forbidden

Often, HTTP 403 forbidden errors are acquired past an access misconfiguration on the client-side, which means y'all can unremarkably resolve the issue yourself.

A common crusade of these errors is the file or folder permission settings, which control who can read, write, and execute the file or folder.

There are two possibilities in this example: either the website owner edited the settings so that y'all couldn't access the resource, or they didn't set up the right permissions.

The 2nd common crusade is corrupt or wrong settings in the .htaccess file. This might happen after yous've made changes to the file. Luckily, it's piece of cake to solve the effect past but creating a new server configuration file.

Other than those two common causes, here are some other possible triggers for the error:

• Missing index page – the website's homepage name is not alphabetize.html or index.php.
• Faulty WordPress plugin – if a WordPress plugin is not configured correctly or is incompatible with another plugin, it may trigger the 403 errors.
• Wrong IP address – the domain name points to a wrong or old IP address which at present hosts a website that blocks your access.
• Malware infection – a malware infection may cause the .htaccess file to be constantly corrupted. You'll need to remove the malware before restoring the file.

New web page link – the site owner may have updated the page's link, which is now dissimilar from the cached version.

How to Fix the 403 Forbidden Error

Since the HTTP 403 forbidden fault is closely related to file admission permissions, this will exist the main focus of the post-obit methods to solve information technology. That said, at that place are other ways of resolving this outcome, such as immigration the browser cache or scanning for malware.

Let'south take a meliorate look at each of the eight available methods to solve the HTTP mistake 403.

Please note that while the steps mentioned here mainly focus on WordPress, they can be applied to other websites as well.

1. Check the .htaccess File

You may not be familiar with the .htaccess file, as it often remains hidden in the site directory. Yet, if you lot use Hostinger File Manager, the file is available in your public_html directory by default.

Follow these steps to locate it:

1. Find the File Manager on the hPanel dashboard.

2. Open the public_html directory to observe the .htaccess file.

If you utilize cPanel, follow these steps:

1. Locate File Manager on cPanel.

2. In the public_html directory, look for the .htaccess file.

3. If you tin can't find the file, click on Settings on the acme-right corner of the screen and enable the Show Hidden Files (dotfiles) option.

The .htaccess file is a server configuration file and mainly works by altering the Apache Web Server settings.

Although the file is nowadays on most websites by default, you lot need to create a new file manually if your website doesn't have it or if information technology was deleted unintentionally.

Now that you take found the file, follow these steps to check whether a wrong configuration is causing the mistake:

1. Right-click on the file and select Download to create a backup.

2. Once you have the backup, delete the file.

2. Try accessing your website. If it works fine, this indicates that the file was corrupted.
3. To generate a fresh .htaccess file, log in to your WordPress dashboard and click on Settings -> Permalinks.
4. Without making whatever changes, click the Save Changes button at the lesser of the page.

This will generate a fresh .htaccess file for your website. If this didn't solve the issue, try the next method.

2. Reset File and Directory Permissions

Some other possible crusade triggering HTTP 403 errors is incorrect permissions for files or folders. In general, when files are created, they come with specific default file permissions, which control how you can read, write, and execute them.

Pro Tip

If you're using Hostinger, there'due south a special tool that volition take care of all your permission bug in just a single click. Enter Fix File Ownership in the search bar or scroll to the bottom of your control panel to Other and locate it there.

This tool will salvage you loads of time and will restore all file and directory permissions to default values.

Using FTP will let you edit file and binder permissions. To begin, yous should:

1. Configure an FTP client and connect it to your website.
2. One time continued, right-click public_html and select File Attributes.

3. Enter permission 755 in the Numeric value field, select Apply to directories merely, and press OK.

The general do for file permission numeric values is using 755 for folders, 644 for static content, and 700 for dynamic content.

4. After irresolute binder permissions, repeat footstep 2 and pace 3, merely now enter 644 in the Numeric value field and select the Apply to files only option.

In one case washed, endeavor accessing your website and run across if the fault is resolved.

three. Disable WordPress Plugins

If y'all have come up this far and none of the previous methods work, chances are that the mistake is caused by an incompatible or faulty plugin. In this step, we volition endeavor disabling plugins to check whether doing and then fixes the 403 forbidden error.

Nosotros recommend disabling all the plugins at once instead of going through the process one by one. Following this method, you should be able to detect the trouble and work towards a solution. Here is what you'll take to do:

1. Access your hosting account via FTP or utilise the hosting account's file manager and go to the public_html -> wp-content binder.
2. Locate the plugins folder.

3. Rename the folder with a different name like "disabled-plugins" to disable all plugins.

Try reaccessing the website. If the error is no longer there, a problematic plugin is the actual source of the mistake.

Rename the folder dorsum to plugins. At present you accept to disable the plugins ane by one from your WordPress dashboard and check if the site is still working. This way, yous will be able to discover the faulty plugin.

In one case you find it, update the plugin if necessary or delete information technology. Notwithstanding, if the error yet appears, you may demand to contact your hosting provider for help.

4. Upload an Index Folio

Check your website's homepage name – information technology should exist called index.html or index.php. If it's non, so in that location are 2 alternatives. The kickoff and simplest one is to rename the homepage every bit index.html or index.php.

Nonetheless, if yous want to go on the electric current homepage proper noun, upload an index folio to your public_html directory and create a redirect to your existing homepage.

Here are the steps to follow:

1. Upload an index.html or index.php file to your public_html directory. Utilize your hosting account'due south file manager or FTP to do so.
2. Open the .htaccess file.
3. Insert this code snippet to redirect the alphabetize.php or index.html file to your existing homepage. Don't forget to replace homepage.html with the page's actual name.

Redirect /index.html /homepage.html

5. Edit File Ownership

Incorrect file buying can trigger the 403 forbidden fault if you utilise Linux or VPS hosting.

Typically, files and folders can be assigned to an Owner, a Grouping, or both. Keep in listen that you demand SSH access to modify ownership in these environments. You'll as well need an SSH terminal to connect to the VPS server.

Once you've connected SSH to your web server, check the buying past using this SSH command:

ls -1 [file name]

The result volition await something similar this:

-rwxrw-rw- 1 [owner][group] 20 Jul 20 12:00 filename.txt

Look at the owner and group function. The correct buying should exist your hosting account's username. If you see different ownership, utilise the chown Linux command to modify file buying. Here's the basic syntax for chown:

chown [owner][:group] [file name]

For case, if your username is Hostinger, use syntax like this:

chown Hostinger filename.txt

If you don't experience comfortable using SSH yourself, contact our support squad for help.

6. Verify the A Record

The 403 forbidden fault can too happen if your domain proper noun points to the wrong IP address, where y'all don't take a permission to view the content. Therefore, double-bank check that your domain proper noun points to the correct IP address.

To check if the domain A record is pointed correctly, access the DNS Zone Editor on your hPanel:

1. Log in to your hPanel.
2. Go to the Avant-garde department and click on DNS Zone Editor.

3. You will encounter a list of DNS records. Find a tape with the label A in the type column.

4. Check the IP accost on the Content cavalcade.
5. If it's pointing to the wrong IP accost, click Edit to alter it. Once you've finished, click Update.

If you don't find the correct record, create a new one from the Manage DNS records department. Make sure yous select A equally the Type and insert the correct IP address into the Points to field. Then, click Add together Tape.

If you have recently migrated from one spider web host to some other and forgot to change your nameservers, your domain may still be pointing to your sometime web host. Once the sometime host cancels your account, it will cause a 403 fault status code.

vii. Scan for Malware

Malware can be another cause of the 403 mistake. If your WordPress site becomes infected by malicious software, it may constantly keep injecting unwanted lawmaking into the .htaccess file. That way, even if you keep fixing the file using the first method we presented, the fault will persist.

Scan your website to identify whatsoever malware. There are plenty of security plugins for WordPress such as Sucuri or Wordfence to do and so.

Most WordPress security plugins similar WordFence tin can remove malware. Once the plugin identifies all infected files, you lot'll get actionable options for these files, such as deleting or restoring them.

Another method is restoring the website using backup files. Information technology's likewise possible to restore it using the database backup if you don't have a consummate backup of the site files.

8. Articulate Your Web History/Enshroud

Your browser's cache and cookies may besides cause a 403 error. Cache stores information to brand a website load faster the next time yous visit it. However, it'due south possible that the website's link has been updated, and the actual web page link is now dissimilar from the cached version.

Another possibility is that the error comes from the cookies. It may be the instance on a website that you lot normally log in commonly, but the latest login endeavor showed you this mistake bulletin.

Clearing browser enshroud and cookies should resolve this upshot. Note that immigration the enshroud may crusade the side by side visit to the website to accept a long time as your browser will ask for all the site files once again. Clearing the cookies besides signs you out from all logged-in websites.

Follow these steps to clear the cache and cookies on Google Chrome:

1. Click on the three-dot icon on the pinnacle right corner and select Settings.
2. Observe the Privacy and security section and click Clear browsing information.

3. Use the driblet-down carte du jour to select the time frame for data deletion. Then, cheque the Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files options.

4. Click Clear data.

Once you've completed all the steps, try revisiting the website and logging in if it requires yous to practise so. If this or whatever other solutions don't work, we recommend contacting our support team via live chat to resolve this consequence.

Conclusion

403 forbidden errors can cause a bang-up deal of frustration as they will prohibit yous from accessing a resource. They mainly occur due to incorrect file permissions, only there are several other possible causes, similar a missing index file, faulty plugins, or fifty-fifty a malware infection.

Finding the real cause of the 403 errors tin can be tricky. However, by post-obit the methods listed in this article, we're sure you tin can go your website working once again.

To recap, here are the actions you should have to become rid of the 403 error message on your WordPress site:

1. Bank check the .htaccess file.
2. Reset file and directory permissions.
3. Disable WordPress plugins.
4. Upload an index folio.
5. Edit file ownership.
6. Verify the A record.
7. Remove whatsoever malware.
8. Clear the web browser history and cache.

The 403 forbidden error is but one of many HTTP error codes. Equally a website owner, you may take encountered other client-side errors such as the 404 error or server-side errors like the 504 gateway timeout.

We encourage you to keep learning about these errors so that you know how to handle them if they always appear on your website.

Domantas leads the content and SEO teams forward with fresh ideas and out of the box approaches. Armed with extensive SEO and marketing knowledge, he aims to spread the discussion of Hostinger to every corner of the earth. During his free fourth dimension, Domantas likes to strop his web development skills and travel to exotic places.

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Source: https://www.hostinger.com/tutorials/what-is-403-forbidden-error-and-how-to-fix-it

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