The ‘403 – Forbidden’ error means that the web browser has requested a page that it is not permitted to view. Here are the common causes and solutions of this problem:
If you do not specify a file name when accessing a website (like visiting the domain directly at www.your-domain.com), the server searches through a list of default file names and displays the first one it finds.
Common default names include index.html and index.php. The first page of your website should use one of these names, all in lowercase letters.
When Heart Internet creates your hosting account, we put a simple index.html file on the server to have something in place before you upload your site. If you delete this file without putting another index page in, you will see the 403 – Forbidden error.
Ensure that your main page in your website is named correctly and uploaded to the public_html directory.
If the directory access settings are set with particular settings, and you do not meet these settings, you will also see the 403 – Forbidden error. This often occurs with password-protected directories, where clicking “Cancel” gives you the 403 error.
These settings are contained in the .htaccess file. This is sometimes generated manually, but can also be configured by some web development tools, such as Microsoft FrontPage.
If you are using a tool such as FrontPage, alter the web permissions using the program, and republish your site. In other cases, you can manually remove the .htaccess file and your site should no longer bring that error up.
The file and the directory that holds it must have global read permissions set. You can set the permissions in your file manager or FTP program.
The recommended settings are:
If we have had to disable your site to protect other users, this may show up as a 403 error. This is a last resort for us, and we will have attempted to contact you if this was the case.
If none of the above causes apply, please contact the Customer Service team and they will be happy to help you resolve this error.
Article ID: 499
Created On: Tue, Mar 17, 2015 at 4:10 PM
Last Updated On: Thu, Apr 23, 2015 at 12:37 PM
Online URL: https://www.heartinternet.uk/support/article/why-am-i-getting-an-http-error-403-forbidden-message-when-i-view-my-website.html