HTTP 403 Forbidden Error

Errors that state messages such as unauthorized or forbidden are trying to tell the visitor that they are an uninvited guest to the website. Since most webmasters want people to access their sites, these messages are usually just a way to say that you need to have certain privileges to view the content. There are a number of different types of sites that may provide the 403 Forbidden error when you try to access them. They can range from internal corporate sites that only employees can access to sites that require some kind of registration by visitors.

Most websites offer easy ways to get access. A very simple registration form is usually provided on the site that offers visitors the opportunity to register to be given access to enter. Filling this out will provide you with exactly what you need to get into the site, given that you agree to provide the information that is requested on the form. There may be a fee involved, and you will also have to agree to their terms in order to be granted access to entry. If you don’t agree with either of these options and they are required, you will not be granted access to the content on the site.

Much like the 404 error, the 403 error can usually be remedied fairly quickly and easily from the user’s end. As a user you have to be sure that the authorization information that you have been given is entered correctly. One wrong letter or number and you may be greeted with the 403 Forbidden message. This is telling you that you either need to get proper access, or you need to ensure that the access information you were given was correct. Contact the webmaster if you are sure that you have the necessary privileges to enter and the information you have entered is correct. There may be a change with the site, access privileges or the behind the scenes workings of the site.

A lot of information is stored and accessed on the Internet, but both website visitors and those maintaining the websites themselves. The last thing anyone needs is someone else tampering with the information that provides the content for a site. As such, the directory of a website is usually a forbidden area that requires access information to use. Sometimes when a website is typed in wrong, it may direct the browser to a directory instead of a page. The directory is where information is stored and manipulated, not viewed as web pages and this can cause the forbidden error to appear.