Media upload fails HTTP Error 403

Have you checked the ownership of the upload directory, does your server have ownership over it and is allowed to use it for upload? Permissions aren’t just write/read, folder needs server ownership too.

Ya I’ve checked ownership and even changed the permissions on wp-content/uploads/ and subdirectories to 777, but the same problem still occurs.

Hi,

In that case I would contact your hosting provider as it seems that the server still believes it has no access privileges to the folder. Might be something going on their end.

btw; you said you’ve updated all directories, all subdirectories that is under the uploads folder and ownership on all checks out too, specially /uploads/2016/01 ?

Here is one thing you can try. Go to Dashboard>Settings>Media and then uncheck “Organize my uploads into month- and year-based folders”. See if this works for you.

@chienyl I wouldn’t, it will create a mess even if it works.

@CureWP Yep including /uploads/2016/01. I’m able to FTP transfer files into that folder too.

I currently have a ticket open with the hosting provider. We’ll see what they say.

@artur Bobinski
Would you elaborate more on why changing the media file structure could create a mess? From my understanding, it won’t change the path of the previous media files. It will only affect the new media uploads. Please correct me if I am wrong. Thanks!

@chienyi not like a mess – mess but its not a true solution and if one starts loading files without the date categorization, it’ll be a mess down the road.

I still strongly believe that while your FTP server belongs to the right ownership group which is why you can FTP and upload files, uploading files using WordPress uses your web server, which might not be in the correct group.

Any news from the hosting folks?

Mind posting your wp-config details here, of course with the DB info left out of it. Your wp-config.php might have a setting enabled thus blocking you from uploading also.

@artur Bobinski I’ve been going back and forth with them. They checked to make sure there weren’t any access or data-transfer restrictions put in place, which there weren’t. I eventually gave them login access to WordPress to try to reproduce the bug. I created a temporary administrator account, and at the time when I created it, uploading with that temp account still produced the same error. However, several hours later when the hosting company tried uploading an image with the temp account, it worked. I just tried with the regular administrative account, and the error seems to have been resolved.

So what happened in the several hours between when I had last tried using the wordpress uploader and when the hosting company tried their test? I did do some more work on the site including uploading images via FTP and then using the freshly-installed plugin “Add From Server” which, in their own words, “[allows] the Media Manager to add files from the webservers filesystem.” I’m not sure if this somehow changed any faulty permissions or some error with the server resolved itself.

wp-config.php is pretty bare. Here is an abridged version:

define('DB_CHARSET', 'utf8');

define('DB_COLLATE', '');

define('WPLANG', '');

define('WP_DEBUG', false);

if ( !defined('ABSPATH') )
    define('ABSPATH', dirname(__FILE__) . '/');

require_once(ABSPATH . 'wp-settings.php');

@mrizzo I bet ya, your host support had something to do with it. I worked for few providers and number one rule was, never admit to an issue, just settle the client down, fix and show it works, then taken on new support.

I wonder why I don’t work for them no more lol.

I’m glad in the end it all fixed itself. ??