4xx Client errors
403 Forbidden
The server understood the request but refuses it.
Common causes
- You're signed in but not allowed to see it.
- File permissions on the server.
- A firewall, WAF or bot protection blocking the request (common for automated checks).
- Blocked country or IP address.
How to fix it
- Check file and folder permissions on the server.
- Look at WAF or firewall logs to see which rule blocked it.
- Allow your monitoring service's requests if your bot protection blocks them.
Find out the moment your site returns 403
Spot Downtime monitors count this as down and alert you, since visitors see an error. (The public “Is it down?” checker treats 4xx answers from big sites as online, because many refuse automated requests.)