5.5 min. read
Imagine what will happen if a visitor finds that your webpage isn't usable. If your page isn’t working for any reason, it will negatively affect the expectations of your visitors. Your visitor will leave your site in less than three seconds and continue their search on your competitor's site. Meaning, a visitor won't convert to a paying customer, and you'll lose both traffic and revenue.
If you want to see fewer people leaving and more people arriving on your site, you should learn everything there is to know about the error 403 and how to fix it. Let's dive in!
The 403 error is part of the 4xx status codes group. These status codes are client-side errors, meaning that generally, something on the client-side of things is the issue.
Apart from client-side errors, you can also encounter server-side HTTP status codes, including:
A 403 Forbidden error can happen for a range of reasons. It can be something on the side of the visitor, such as unclear cache. In some cases, to access a specific resource, the visitor needs to log in to a website. If the visitor failed to do so, it can result in a 403 error.
The error can also be something the website owner has done incorrectly. This can include incorrect file or folder permissions.
The 403 Forbidden errors can be displayed in all browsers and on any operating system.
They can be labeled in different ways, such as:
403 Forbidden error
403 Error
Error 403
Error 403 - Forbidden
HTTP 403
HTTP 403 - Forbidden
When you come across a 403 error, you'll see the following screen:
Try clearing the cached version of the page. It's possible that that's what causing the 403 error.
Also, be sure to enable cookies in your browser for this website. Especially if you often log-in to the site.
Every file that's stored on your website has file permissions. These file permissions control who can access files and folders on your site. This might be one reason why your visitors are encountering a 403 error message. It's bad permission for your files or folders.
If you want to prevent 403 errors in these cases, enable directory browsing in your web server software. If you don't feel confident doing it yourself, get in touch with a developer or your hosting company.
Website owners have to go above and beyond to ensure their visitors are getting the best user experience. Especially in today's market where competitors are lurking from every side, it's crucially important to invest in proper web design and website maintenance services. From mobile-friendliness to website speed, you must continually improve your site to retain your visitors.
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