What’s a 401 Error and How Can It Be Fixed? Consider yourself attempting to update your website, but you are unable to access the back end for whatever reason. Even worse, there is a bothersome 401 error blocking your path, thus you are unable to access your WordPress Login page. An HTTP error 401 means that there is a problem with your browser credentials. We’ll explain what it means and what causes it in this article. Then, in order for you to resume your usual posting schedule, we’ll go over five ways you can fix the problem.
What is the cause of the HTTP 401 error?
You have most likely attempted to log into WordPress at some point and inadvertently entered the incorrect credentials. When that occurs, you will see an error page notifying you of your mistake; but, you will still be able to gain access if you enter the right user name and password again.
Similar to the 401 error, but at a higher level, it occurs when you attempt to access a website with incorrect credentials. You wouldn’t even make it to the WordPress Login screen if your site doesn’t correctly authenticate with your browser’s server.
A 401 Authorization Required error means that you should try accessing the resource again with the right credentials. In contrast to an HTTP 403 error, which explicitly forbids you from accessing the website you’re attempting to reach, this issue is frequently transient. A 401 error may occasionally disappear on its own, restoring your website’s access. But it is inconvenient to be locked out of your website, even for a short while. Rather than waiting for your browser to resolve the issue, you can take action to reach the back end more quickly.
How Do You Fix a 401 Error and What Does It Mean?
Here are some specifics regarding the 401 Error that you may learn about from this article:
401 errors are problematic mostly because they can have several different reasons. This makes identifying the one that is influencing your browser difficult. Keeping this in mind, we’ll go over a few potential remedies so you may go through them one at a time.
1. Delete all records from the Domain Name System (DNS)
Data about the IP addresses and URLs you access most frequently will typically be stored on your computer. It will be able to process requests in the future more quickly this way. Deleting all of that temporary data from your computer is what is meant by flushing your DNS. In this method, it will make a fresh request and re-authenticate the next time you attempt to access the issue URL. Different Operating Systems (OS) have different processes for flushing your DNS.
You can try accessing your web site again when Windows displays a success message. Mac users must follow a similar process, however the command you must enter in Terminal depends on the version of OSX you are using. Users can execute sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder if they are running any of the three most recent versions (High Sierra, Mojave, and Sierra).
2. Empty the Caches in Your Browser and Firewall
In order to avoid having to reload websites every time you access them, browsers can also store data. We call this process caching. You can unintentionally be saving the wrong log in information in some situations. If that’s the root of your 401 error, fixing it is simple. You can quickly clear your cache with the majority of modern browsers.
deleting data from the Chrome browser. The data you want the browser to remove can then be specified.
deleting files and images from Chrome’s cache. Try to access your web site again. If the problem continues, your firewall’s cache may be the cause of the error. Authentication issues may occur when your firewall isn’t able to communicate with your server.
Depending on the tool you’re using, the process of fixing this will vary. If you are a Cloudflare user, access your dashboard and navigate to the Caching tab. There is a Purge Everything option that allows you to clear the whole cache on your firewall: clearing the firewall on Cloudflare. Your firewall’s operation won’t be impacted by clearing its cache. The worst-case situation is that you can run into slower loading times when you visit your site again, but this should fix itself after your cache is rebuilt. Check the documentation of your firewall program to see whether it allows you to manually clear your cache. It might be essential for you to get in touch with support instead for some services.
3. Check for Plugin and Theme Conflicts in WordPress
A 401 error can occasionally be caused by compatibility issues with your WordPress plugins and theme. If you have access to the dashboard, it’s simple to deactivate either element in order to determine the source of the issue.
WordPress plugins can be disabled from the dashboard. Change your theme to one of the default WordPress themes, such Twenty Nineteen or Twenty Twenty. The issue can then be recreated by individually reactivating each plugin. The faulty part should be able to be checked down. A 401 error, however, may bar you from accessing your dashboard. That means you’ll need to use File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and an FTP client like FileZilla in order to disable your plugins and theme.
Disabling FileZilla plugins. Next, use the right-click menu to rename each plugin’s folder. It can be as simple as plugin-name _disabled. WordPress won’t be able to find these folders as a result. Re-access your website after disabling your plugins. If the 401 error is no longer there, it means that the root reason was an elemental incompatibility. The names of your plugins can then be changed when you return to FileZilla. Examine your website in between each. You’ll know the most recently active tool is the problem when the 401 error returns again. Similarly, disabling themes functions.
Using FileZilla, deactivate the WordPress theme. It will be automatically replaced by the default theme. Test your web site once more to see if the 401 error still occurs. If not, you may need to explore for alternatives as your theme may be contributing to the problem. Check out the Datadog Alternatives page as well.
4. Turn Off Password Defense for Your WordPress Folders
By adjusting your WordPress.htaccess file, you can add a number of useful features. One way to increase security beyond your Login page is to password-protect your WordPress folders. The problem is that this degree of password protection lacks a process for recovering your login information. Unless you completely disable the function, you will be locked out if you forget them. Through FTP, it’s easy to disable the credentials prompt. You have two options: completely disable the password security feature or disable it just for the directory you wish to access. You must find the.htaccess file in your WordPress root directory in order to use the first technique. Editing.htaccess with FileZilla: Right-click on it and select the Edit option to open the file in your default text editor.
If you remove this snippet completely, all of your directories’ password security will be disabled. Furthermore, there should be a second file called.htpasswd in every pertinent directory. The password security for that particular folder will also be removed after deletion. After you make the necessary adjustments, try re-accessing your site. The source of your 401(k) error may be further up if that doesn’t work.
5. Speak with your hosting company
Getting in contact with your hosting provider is your best option if all else fails and the 401 error continues for a while without getting resolved. You’ve exhausted all other options, which means there may be a server-related problem to blame. The support staff at your provider has access to more sophisticated diagnostic tools, which means they can assist you in identifying the root of the issue. However, tickets may take some time to process, so it’s a good idea to attempt troubleshooting the 401 error yourself first.
In summary
In your regular web browsing, it’s pretty uncommon to run into mistakes. It usually doesn’t matter that much. When your own website is the one presenting you with a 401 error code, things get really serious. You may be locked out for a considerable amount of time if you are unable to solve the problem.
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