Hello,
We’re sorry to hear about the issue you’re facing with the 403 error on your website. It seems like you’ve already taken some steps to troubleshoot the issue, but it’s still persisting.
Given the information you’ve provided, it seems that the issue might be related to Rank Math. However, it’s important to note that Rank Math is not designed to cause such issues and is widely used without causing 403 errors.
To further troubleshoot this issue, you can try the following steps:
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Check for Security Plugin Settings: If you have any security plugins installed, please review their settings to ensure that they are not blocking legitimate access to your site.
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Review Rank Math Settings: Check the settings in Rank Math to ensure that there are no configurations that could be causing the issue.
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Contact Rank Math Support: If the issue persists, you can reach out to Rank Math support for further assistance. They are available 24×7 and can help you with any issues you might face.
If you need further assistance, please feel free to reach out to us. We’re here to help!
Sources:
How To Fix Blocked Due to Access Forbidden (403) Error in Google Search Console » Rank Math
Hello,
Before each update, we go through rigorous testing, and Rank Math is 100% safe to use. Please go through this article on the topic:
https://rankmath.com/kb/is-rank-math-safe-to-use/
With that said, we would still like to check the findings from your scanner so we can provide some advice.
Could you please confirm if the issue persists while the Rank Math plugin is disabled?
You can temporarily deactivate the plugin and check again. Please note that all of the data you have already configured in Rank Math are saved in your database, so there shouldn’t be any data loss upon doing so.
Let us know how this goes.
Thank you.
Hi there,
Thanks for your message.
The problem stops as soon as I disable rank math via ftp.
Thanks,
Brock
Hello,
Since disabling Rank Math via FTP stops the issue, it’s possible that your host’s ModSecurity (ModSec) configuration is conflicting with the Rank Math plugin.
ModSecurity is an application firewall that runs on web servers to block potentially malicious activities, but sometimes it can erroneously block legitimate requests or plugins.
Reach out to your hosting provider and ask them to temporarily disable ModSecurity for your site. Explain them that you suspect a conflict between ModSecurity and the Rank Math plugin.
Once ModSecurity is disabled, re-enable Rank Math and test if the issue reoccurs. If everything works fine with ModSecurity off, it confirms a conflict.
If disabling ModSecurity resolves the problem, ask your host if they can modify the ModSecurity rules to allow just Rank Math to function without turning off ModSecurity entirely.
It’s crucial to maintain some level of security protection on your site so fine tuning the ModSecurity rules to make Rank Math work would be a better option.
Let us know how that goes.
Thank you.
Hello,
Since we did not hear back from you for 15 days, we are assuming that you found the solution. We are closing this support ticket.
If you still need assistance or any other help, please feel free to open a new support ticket, and we will be more than happy to assist.
Thank you.
