FAQ: Why do I get "Forbidden" error?

Most errors coming from Loco Translate are as descriptive as possible about the problem. If you simply get the error “Forbidden” it means the problem is external to the plugin and it’s not able to tell you what the cause is.

Here are some things to work through. Please investigate them all before reporting a bug.

mod_sec

Mod Security or “mod_sec” is an Apache module installed by many web hosting companies. Unfortunately it is known to break WordPress in various different ways.

If you get an abrupt “Forbidden” message when you try to save or download your translations, then check with your web host whether mod_sec is installed. If it is then they will have to configure it or disable it for you. If they’re unable or unwilling then you won’t be able to use Loco Translate.

This is the most likely cause of the Forbidden error. It may be resolved in future releases of the plugin, but there is currently no workaround and help with configuring mod_sec is beyond the scope of this support forum.

mod_sec not installed? Keep going …

WordPress capabilities

Loco Translate requires the logged-in WordPress user has the manage_options capability. If you can see the Loco Translate menu items and view the plugin’s pages then this is not the problem. This is only likely to be the cause if someone sent you a link and you get a full screen permissions error when you open it.

File Permissions

If translation files can’t be saved or folders can’t be created, Loco will show you a descriptive message about the problem. It’s quite unlikely that permissions on translation files will result in an abrupt “Forbidden” message.

However, it’s worth checking file permissions on PHP source files. All source files under the plugin root must be readable, and all directories must be executable. This is pretty standard and it’s unlikely you downloaded the plugin without these permissions.

Debugging info

If none of this information has helped and you need to open a support ticket, please do so in a separate thread and provide the following information:

To know what has caused the Forbidden error we need to see the output of the failed request. If this is an Ajax request (used in syncing and saving translations) then you will need to dig into your browsers developer tools to see the real output of the failure. Just posting a screenshot of the word “Forbidden” won’t help diagnose the problem.

Most developer tools have a network inspector (google yours). Find the failed request (often highlighted in red) and select it. Then find the response content and paste it into your bug report.