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If your domain is pointing to Hostinger<\/a><\/b>, follow this guide: How to manage A records<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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If your domain is pointing elsewhere by nameservers, you will need to go to your domain’s active DNS Zone<\/a><\/b> and check the A record there<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>
After making any changes to your DNS records, allow up to 24 hours<\/b> for them to propagate<\/a><\/b> fully, and your website should start working! 😊<\/p>
Malware affected files<\/h2>
Your website might be affected by malware. In such cases, you can use Malware Scanner, which is already included to your hosting plan and is available directly in hPanel.<\/p>
To see if that’s the case, you need:<\/p>
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- Open your website’s dashboard in hPanel and navigate to Security →<\/b> Malware Scanner<\/strong> in the left sidebar.<\/li>\n
- If no threats are detected, the panel will show that no malware was found.<\/li>\n
- If infections are found, the scanner lists each affected file and describes what action was taken to address it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>
If your website is built with WordPress, you can follow a guide: How to remove WordPress malware: manual and automatic malware removal<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>
Incorrect File Structure or Permissions<\/h2>
You may have incorrect file or folder permissions. If that’s the case, you can easily fix the permissions of your files<\/a><\/b>.<\/p>
Alternatively, the public_html<\/b> folder is missing or empty. Go to Websites<\/a> → Manage<\/b> and open the File Manager<\/b>:<\/p>
![\"Hostinger](\"\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2019\/02\/316267c1-a6e3-4e58-80a3-da307a26c1d7.jpg\")
<\/div>If the folder is missing, create a new directory named public_html, <\/b>and make sure to upload your website files<\/a><\/b> in this location. In case your files are in a different folder, move them to the correct path.<\/p>
Issues on the .htaccess File<\/h2>
To check if the .htaccess<\/b> file may be corrupted or have some incorrect configurations, go to the public_html<\/b> folder of your domain using the File Manager<\/b>, locate the .htaccess file<\/b>, and rename it, e.g., to .htaccess-disabled<\/b>:<\/p>
![\"Hostinger](\"\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2019\/02\/2be537e4-a76c-42fa-8d24-af234ab706c7.jpg\")
<\/div>Clear your browser cache<\/a><\/b> and try accessing your website – if it works, it means you need to double-check the code within your .htaccess<\/b> file. Some common issues are:<\/p>
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Deny rules<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Incorrect rewrite rules<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
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Improperly set redirections<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>
For WordPress-based websites, some security plugins can add
Deny from All<\/code> rules to your .htaccess files<\/b>:<\/p>![\"Hostinger](\"\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/55\/2019\/02\/64d3dab8-9161-4db6-af34-75c2c09362e2.jpg\")
<\/div>In that case, look for these lines and remove them if necessary.<\/p>
NOTE<\/b><\/p>
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These WordPress plugins can also create .htaccess<\/b> files with deny rules in directories like wp-admin <\/b>and prevent you from reaching them<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>
Further Steps<\/h2>
While these are the most common reasons for the 403 error, there still may be other factors that you can consider, such as a missing index page<\/b>, a faulty WordPress plugin, <\/b>or a malware <\/b>infection.<\/p>
\nFor detailed information on any 403 errors encountered on your website, you can check the Access Logs<\/a><\/b> 💡<\/p>\n<\/div>
You can find more information about these cases and how to fix them in this comprehensive tutorial: What Is the 403 Forbidden Error and How to Fix it<\/a><\/b>, as well as by checking the following video tutorial<\/b>:<\/p>
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