A 403 Forbidden error is a HTTP status code that indicates the server understands the request made by the client but refuses to authorise it. This response typically happens when a user attempts to access a web page or resource for which they do not have permission, often due to insufficient credentials or restrictions set by the server admin.
403 error’s can negatively impact both user experience and website visibility, because when search engines like Google crawl your site and encounter this error, they may interpret it as an indication that content is restricted or unavailable. This may result in important pages being excluded from indexing, leading to reduced organic traffic.
Common causes of a 403 Forbidden error include misconfigured permissions on files or directories, IP address restrictions, issues with .htaccess files in Apache servers, and problems related to security plugins in content management systems (CMS) like WordPress.
