A 403 Forbidden error is something no website owner wants to see. This client error indicates that the user (or search engine bot) is forbidden from accessing the requested page. While 403 errors are less severe than the more serious 404 Page Not Found error, they can still damage your site’s search engine optimization (SEO) if left unchecked.
In this post, we’ll explain what 403 errors are, their common causes, and how they hurt your rankings. We’ll also provide tips on how to fix 403 errors to avoid SEO penalties.
What is a 403 Forbidden Error?
A 403 error occurs when a user or search bot tries to access a web page or resource that they do not have permission to view. Some common examples that trigger a 403 error include:
- Trying to access an administration or login page without being logged in.
- Accessing pages or files that are blocked by .htaccess rules.
- Attempting to view sensitive documents or directories without authorization.
From an SEO perspective, search bots like Googlebot regularly crawl sites looking for new or updated content. When Googlebot hits a 403 error, it means the page has been purposefully blocked from public view. This tells search engines that humans wouldn’t be able to access the content either.
Why 403 Errors Are Bad for SEO
There are a few reasons why 403 forbidden errors can hurt your search engine rankings:
1. Pages Returning 403 Errors Are Not Indexed
Search engines want to show the most relevant, accessible pages in their results. If Googlebot runs into multiple 403 errors on a site, Google may stop crawling those pages altogether. This means those pages will not get indexed and won’t appear in search results.
2. Can Indicate Technical Issues to Search Engines
Frequent 403 errors may signal to search engines that the site has technical problems or is blocking content. Google wants to see fully functional sites that make content easy to access. The 403 error suggests the opposite.
3. Limits Internal Linking Opportunities
Links remain one of the strongest SEO ranking factors. A 403 error cuts off a page’s ability to either link to other pages or receive links from other pages. This negatively impacts internal linking, which helps search bots discover new content.
4. Creates a Bad User Experience
From a human visitor perspective, a 403 error means they cannot access the content they are searching for. This creates a frustrating user experience that can lead to high bounce rates. Search engines are sensitive to signals that indicate bad on-site experiences.
How to Fix 403 Forbidden Errors
Now that you understand why 403 errors are problematic for SEO, let’s discuss how you can fix them:
- Carefully check which pages or directories are blocking access and modify access rules if they are too strict. Most CMS platforms allow you to configure permissions.
- For specific pages, consider password protecting the content instead of an outright ban. This still blocks public access but allows search engines to view the content.
- Check for incorrect .htaccess rules that are unintentionally blocking pages. Even a small syntax error could lead to 403 errors.
- Enable caching in your CMS system. A page served from cache won’t trigger a 403 error since all permission checks happen before caching.
- If certain hosting resources are causing the issue, upgrade to a better hosting plan with fewer access restrictions.
- Implement CMS plugins or other tools to customize error page messages. Friendly text guiding users reduces frustration.
The Bottom Line
A 403 Forbidden error indicates a web page has been blocked from public and search engine access. These errors directly prevent search indexing and indirectly damage how search engines view a site’s accessibility.
Site owners should thoroughly audit pages and resources that trigger 403 errors. Adjusting permissions, fixing incorrect blocking rules, and improving caching can help eliminate frustrating 403 errors. This creates a search engine and user-friendly website.