WORDPRESS REPAIR · WP-REPAIR-25

WordPress Admin 403 Forbidden

Opening wp-admin, saving a setting, uploading, or performing another WordPress action returns 403 Forbidden.

Category: WordPress Repairs

What’s happening

Opening wp-admin, saving a setting, uploading, or performing another WordPress action returns 403 Forbidden.

The message on the screen is only the visible part of the problem. I’ll look at WordPress, your hosting, and the pieces around them to find where it is actually failing.

You may have already tried

  • Clearing cookies
  • Disabling a security plugin
  • Changing .htaccess
  • Trying another network

Those are sensible things to try, and they may give us clues. Once the quick fixes do not work, though, making more changes at random can make the original problem harder to find. I’ll work from the evidence and check the site before changing anything.

What might be going on

  • Web application firewall or security rule
  • File permissions
  • IP, country, or user-agent blocking
  • Invalid rewrite or access directive
  • Host malware or account restriction

These are common possibilities, not a diagnosis. Several different problems can look exactly the same from the front of the site.

What I’ll check

  • Exact URL and action and response headers
  • Host, WAF, and security logs
  • WordPress security settings
  • File and access rules
  • A controlled request after correction

I’ll begin with the least disruptive checks and work outward. If I can repair the problem within this service, I’ll test it again before I finish.

What this repair includes

The standard $149 repair covers:

  • One clearly defined problem
  • Diagnosis and up to 90 minutes of repair work
  • A backup or backup check before changes, when one is reasonably available
  • Testing the part of the site that was not working
  • A short explanation of what I found and what I changed

If I discover that the problem needs more time or a different kind of work, I’ll stop and talk with you before doing anything outside the $149 repair. There are no surprise charges.

What this repair doesn’t cover

Security cleanup, firewall administration for an outside service, and restoring access to a suspended hosting account may require separate help.

It also does not cover malware or hacked-site cleanup, blacklist removal, major database rebuilding, a full website move, new custom code, payment disputes, or work on a site you are not authorized to manage.

What I will need from you

Most repairs require hosting access because it gives me the tools I need to diagnose and repair the problem. After I review and accept the repair, we’ll arrange a short call and get me into your hosting account.

My 1. 2. 3. process ...

  1. You use the intake form to tell me about the error, what has already been tried, and provide any screenshots that you think might be helpful. No payment is required.
  2. I will review the problem and we will arrange a short phone call.  Once the repair is accepted and I have your permission to work on the site then you make the payment and I begin working on making your headache go away!
  3. When I’m finished, I’ll send you a short report explaining this repair. I’ll also remind you to change any passwords you shared with me.

Request this repair

Please describe exactly what is going on with your site.

Do not include any passwords.

No payment is required at this time!

Frequently asked questions

The server understood the request but refused it. That refusal may come from WordPress, a security plugin, the host, or a firewall before WordPress even runs.

No. That can expose the site and may not identify the rule causing the block. I will narrow down the refusal and adjust only what is necessary.

Not every problem can be completely fixed within this service. Sometimes the final solution belongs with the hosting company, an outside provider, abandoned software, or custom code. I will still diagnose what is happening, work to repair the problem, and explain the next steps for anything that is beyond what I can do about the issue.

Price and payment

Standard repair — $149

Purchase Note: Please pay only after we complete the intake process.