How to Fix Website 403 Forbidden and 404 Not Found Errors

What is the difference?

• 404 Not Found: The server cannot find the requested page or file at that address.
• 403 Forbidden: The server understood the request but refuses access. This can be caused by permissions, access rules or security settings.

Fix a 404 error

1. Check the URL for spelling mistakes, extra characters or an incorrect path.
2. If you manage the site, confirm that the requested file exists in the correct document root.
3. For a CMS such as WordPress, check the page status and permalink settings.
4. If you recently moved the website or changed DNS, confirm that the domain points to the intended hosting account.
5. If only one page fails, check its URL and routing. If every page fails, check the document root and site configuration.

Fix a 403 error

1. Confirm that you are opening the intended public page and not a protected directory.
2. Check the file and directory permissions in the hosting panel or with your administrator. Do not apply broad permissions such as 777 as a shortcut.
3. Check whether an access rule, password protection, IP restriction or security tool is blocking the request.
4. Confirm that the document root contains an appropriate index file, such as index.php or index.html, if directory listing is disabled.
5. If the error started after a change, review that change and restore the previous configuration if needed.

When to contact support

If the issue continues, send support the affected URL, the exact error, when it began and any recent changes. Avoid sharing passwords. If the website is business-critical, take a backup before editing configuration files or permissions.

Related guides

• Troubleshoot a 500 Internal Server Error
• Manage website files in cPanel
• Website backups: what to save and restore