Most Google Chrome browser users have experienced at least once the inability to open some web pages, where the message on the screen was showing Error 403. This can happen when the server forbids you from accessing the page you were trying to open.

Usually, it is impossible to resolve this issue because it is not a problem caused by you. But sometimes you can do something about it. Have you ever asked yourself how to fix error 403 in Google Chrome?

 

The reason for error 403 showing up

There are two reasons why error 403 shows up on your screen when trying to open a specific web page in your browser. The first one is that a server owner sets this up so only those with permission can open the site, and the other is that the consent has been set up improperly, meaning that you cannot access the site without any reason.

Error 403 can have different names, so your screen may show the headings such as 403 forbidden, Forbidden, Error 403, Error 403-Forbidden, HTTP 403, HTTP Error 403-Forbidden, and other similar names.

What you can do about error 403 in Google Chrome is to try to resolve it by refreshing the page, checking the address, clearing the cache and cookies from your browser, checking if you have permission to access the page, contacting the website directly, or try revisiting the page later.

Resolve error 403 by refreshing the page

Since error 403 might be temporary, you should try refreshing the page. So, look for the refresh button on Google Chrome. It is next to the line where you type the web address you want to visit. It takes a couple of seconds to refresh the page, which can result in the page being opened. Refreshing the page doesn’t resolve any problems, but it can lead to the page opening after refreshing.

Check if the address is correct.

The most common reason why error 403 shows up while trying to visit a web page is that you have probably typed in the wrong address. If your address is for a directory URL, or if it ends with “/,” it can cause error 403 to show up. The web pages usually have endings like .com, .php, and .org.

Clear the browser

To resolve error 403, you might need to clear your browser’s cache and cookies. It can happen that your browser caught the cache, but in the meantime, the link got changed. So make sure to do clearing to get to the pages again. Removing cookies, you may need to sign in again to some pages because the saved data will probably be lost.

To clear the cache and cookies, open the main menu in the Google Chrome browser. It is next to the line where you type web addresses in the upper right corner. You will recognize it when you see three dots in a row. Click on it and find the Settings option. Then, find the Privacy and security heading. This will lead you to options for clearing data and the Clear cache and cookies option. Click on it, and your browser will be cleared.

Do you have permission to access a specific page?

Error 403 can be resolved if you have permission to access the URL. It means that you have to log in before you can see the content on a specific web page. If an error 403 is shown, you must input your login information.

Other solutions

You can also contact the website if error 403 is constantly showing up. You can find the contact on the page or social media and ask them about the problem.

Another way to fix the error 403 is to try to open it later. Error 403 is probably happening due to problems on the server, so you might need to wait for a while before you try to get on the page again.