403 Forbidden Error Through a Proxy
The request was understood, but access was denied. The refusal may come from the site or from the proxy itself — these cases are fixed differently.
What the error means
The 403 code means “access forbidden”. Unlike 407, proxy authentication has passed: the question is where and how you are sending the request.
First find out who answered. If the code comes with a name in capital letters — 403 PORT_BLOCKED, 403 SITE_PERMANENTLY_BLOCKED or 403 HOST_BLOCKED — the proxy answered. If there is no name, it is the site's own response.
Causes
- The site does not accept requests from this address. The site restricted the address or a whole subnet: too many requests, an unsuitable country, a suspicious set of headers.
- The site is closed to all customers of the service.
SITE_PERMANENTLY_BLOCKED: government resources, banks, payment systems and similar categories. - A closed port.
PORT_BLOCKED: for example, mail ports. You cannot send email through the proxy. - You blocked the site yourself.
HOST_BLOCKED: the domain is on the “Blocked sites” list in the plan settings. - The request does not look like a browser request. An empty or unusual User-Agent or missing standard headers is a common reason for a refusal by the site.
How to fix it
- Look at the full response text: is there a reason name after the code?
- If the proxy answered, check the blocked sites page. Restrictions by category and port cannot be lifted; your own block list is edited in the plan settings.
- If the site answered, lower the request rate and add pauses.
- Change the address: turn on rotation or choose a sticky IP from another country that suits this site.
- Check the request headers in your program: the User-Agent, language and cookies should look like those of a regular browser.
- Follow the rules of the site you work with: some resources explicitly forbid automated requests.
How to check that it works
Open the same URL in a browser with the proxy and without it. If the site opens without the proxy but not through it, the cause is the address or the country; change them and try again. You can see which address and country the site sees on the My IP page.
FAQ
Will I get my money back if the site returns 403?
Such requests use almost no traffic: a refusal response takes just a few kilobytes. The refund terms are described on the refund policy page.
Will changing the proxy type help?
Sometimes. Sites treat addresses of datacenters, home ISPs and mobile carriers differently. We do not promise that a particular site will accept an address, but it makes sense to try another type on a small volume.
Why does the site open in a browser but return 403 in a script?
The script sends a different set of headers and does not store cookies. The site sees the difference and refuses. Compare the request headers of the browser and the script.
Residential $1.59, mobile $2.50, datacenter $0.80 per GB
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