We get the 403 Forbidden HTTP error when the client was able to communicate with the server, but the server does not let the client access the required data. In plain English, it roughly translates to "You don't have the required permission to access this". The web server gives this response when directory listings have been turned off. The most common reason is that directory browsing is forbidden as most Web sites want you to navigate using the URLs in the Web pages for that site. It is also possible that there is no content in the directory there yet. Until the content is uploaded, anyone trying to access the site could encounter a 403 error.
John Cicero has authored articles such as Error 403, Error 404, and Runtime Error for The Tech FAQ.
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