Definitive guide
How to Fix the 1020 Error: Access Denied by Cloudflare
How to Fix the 1020 Error: Access Denied by Cloudflare (Easy Steps)
Have you ever encountered the message “this website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks”? You are on the right blog on how to fix this error.
This error stops you from seeing what you want from the site. 1020 Error is one of them, and you may be familiar with it by now; this error occurs when you are trying to access a CloudFlare-protected webpage.
1020 Error on Cloudflare usually occurs when the connection request appears to be a threat. This type of problem affects the website’s algorithm because when one or more users try to access it, they can’t since the page won’t load. Google can sense this problem so this can affect the ranking of your site and might not be able to bring much traffic.
If your website has incomplete or out-of-date information, or if the server has failed, Error 1020 may occasionally appear by accidentally occurring.
Before concluding that the real problem is on the server, you might want to check on your computer first and try to configure the settings.
If this fails, then continue reading because we will give you easy steps on how to fix Error 1020: Access Denied.
What is a 1020 Error by CloudFlare?
Before diving deeper into the topic, let us first identify what is the meaning of this error.
According to Technology Explained (2022), the Cloudflare “Error 1020: Access Denied” message can occur when you try to access a URL on a Cloudflare-protected website. Cloudflare can block your IP address if it deems it dangerous or spammy, leaving you locked out.
This error usually occurs when you are visiting a website and Cloudflare is being over-protected and blocks your IP address since it detects a possible threat.
What causes the 1020 Error?
You should be aware that the page you’re attempting to reach has a Cloudflare Firewall rule in place, which stops your IP address from visiting the website if you occasionally get this message when browsing the internet.
As you can see from the error notice, Cloudflare, the security service provider, is securing the page you’re attempting to access. The filter that is based on the Firewall rule of the target website will deny your request since the 1020 error indicates that you have broken a Firewall rule.
How to fix Error 1020: Access Denied by Cloudflare?
Now that we know the cause of the error, let us now jump to the part on how to fix the error easily. We will give you six steps that you can easily follow in order to fix the error.
1. Check if the browser allows cookies
Since Cloudflare allows the use of cookies to customize its features according to the actions of the visitor, the cookies help the site give the visitor a great experience on the website through faster, personal, and a lot more relevant experiences.
Everything’s all good except when these cookies won’t let you access the website.
To prevent this from happening, check your web browser and make sure that the use of cookies is allowed, or else you will encounter this error.
To test whether any extensions are causing the block, try turning them on and off if you’re having difficulties getting the browser to accept the site’s cookie.
2. Check if any browser extensions block cookies
Some extensions that are downloaded can block the use of cookies. This feature is commonly used to browse the Internet more privately.
However, this feature can cause an error when you are visiting a website that uses Cloudflare. So if ever you are experiencing this error, try to check first if you downloaded any and disable it for a while in order to access the domain you are trying to visit.
3. Clear your browser’s cache
When you don’t empty the cache in your browser for a long, old script and files accumulate on your machine. This might be the reason Cloudflare views your connection as spam.
The computer stores many files each time a webpage is loaded. Not all changes are likely to be made automatically when viewing the page again. This will result in out-of-date files being present on your machine, especially for items like scripts, cookies, and style sheets that don’t update regularly.
Clear all of your cache in your browser’s settings. You might be able to erase this information just from the websites that were affected by the error in some browsers.
As a result, you must clear your browser’s cache and visit the page again. In this manner, they will fully reload all required files, causing them to be updated and enabling the website to run.
4. Try to use a different web browser
Using a different browser or device to visit the website is a legitimate alternative. Reloading the entire webpage and clearing its cache are the goals. You increase the likelihood that this test will succeed, make sure to first clean your browser.
Try to give the browser a refresh as well so it can start more accurately and this will decrease the chance of encountering the error.
5. Change site administrator settings
If the first four steps didn’t do the trick for the error, it may be time to change the site administrator settings, since the real problem lies at the server.
In order to do this, check the Cloudflare settings and then check the activity log. This enables you to check if any IP addresses are blocked. Additionally, you may determine whether firewall rules need to be changed, or the desired IP address needs to be added in order to provide access to the user who is unable to access the website.
6. Call the technical support team
If all else fails, this is the moment to ask for help from the technical support team. The last option is to get in touch with the website administrator and request that they see whether Cloudflare has restricted your IP address, nation, or anything else.
To regain access, the site administrator will either modify their firewall regulations or whitelist your IP in Cloudflare settings. You can ask the admin to get in touch with Cloudflare support on your behalf if they are unable to fix the problem.
Summary
Following the steps that we listed above can help you resolve the error. Knowing these steps also removes the panic you get whenever this message pops up on your screen.
But again, if the steps still didn’t work, contacting Cloudflare support might do the real trick and fix the error for you.
FAQ
What is a 1020 Error?
This error shows up when you are visiting a website protected by Cloudflare and they see your action as a threat, causing them to stop you from browsing the website.
How can I fix this error?
- Check if the browser allows cookies.
- Check if any browser extensions block cookies.
- Clear your browser’s cache.
- Try to use a different web browser.
- Change site administrator settings.
- Call the technical support team.