HTTP Status Codes (403, 404, 500, 503)
When you try to access content on a server that is running Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0, 7.5, or 8.0 IIS returns a numeric code that indicates the status of the response. The HTTP status code is recorded in the IIS log. Additionally, the HTTP status code may be displayed in the client browser. The HTTP status code may reveal the exact reason that a request is unsuccessful. The following are the most commonly seen HTTP Status Codes regarding site issues.
403 Forbidden
This error is typically caused by faulty file permissions. The application pool user does not have the correct permissions to access or modify the resource in question. There are other issues that can result in a 403 Forbidden, however these codes specifically point to faulty permissions:
- 403.1 - Execute access forbidden.
- 403.2 - Read access forbidden.
- 403.3 - Write access forbidden.
- 403.8 - Site access denied.
- 403.10 - Forbidden: web server is configured to deny Execute access.
You can attempt to correct permissions yourself, however it is recommended that you contact support to assist in this task.
See also:
404 Not Found
The server understood the request, but is refusing to fulfill it. This is typically because the requested resource no longer exists or has been moved, but can in rare cases allude to other issues such as missing handlers. If you are seeing this error when expecting to see content, you should first check to see if the specified resource exists (pages in your CMS, images in the correct path/directory, etc). If the resources seem to be in place correctly, it is recommended to contact support for further investigation.
500 Internal Server Error
The 500 Internal Server Error is a very general HTTP status code that means something has gone wrong on the web sites server, but the server could not be more specific on what the exact problem is. In most cases a 500 Internal Server error will require you to contact support for further investigation, however you can try the following before doing so: Fix permissions, recycle the application pool, clear your browser cache.
503 Service Unavailable
The server is currently unavailable. This HTTP Status Code is almost always because the application pool or website is turned off in the web server (IIS, for example). In our environment this could be due to an issue with the site itself, or more commonly due to the site being suspended. Check the following items, and if an issue persists contact the Support team for assistance.
If you are seeing a 503 Service Unavailable check the following:
- Verify that there are no open billing issues that may have caused the subscription to go into 'Expired' status. If you find a billing issue, you will need to contact our billing department via phone or ticket to assist in making adjustments.
PowerDNN\Managed.com billing is available Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm CST.
See also: Billing Policy
- If there are no subscription status/billing issues, recycling the application pool will typically bring a site back online from a 503 Service Unavailable code. You can recycle the application pool via your PowerDNN\Managed.com control panel, or contact support to have this done for you.
Article ID: 2325, Created: January 12, 2016 at 11:28 AM, Modified: January 4, 2017 at 2:39 PM