The Mastodon 403 Forbidden Error (explained)

Editor’s Note: This post was updated in 2025 with additional information and clarifications. The original post focused on explaining a 403 error only within the context of creating a new account on Mastodon. It has been expanded to cover additional 403 error instances.

If you’ve tried to join Mastodon and run into a “403 Forbidden” error, either while signing up or interacting with another account, you’re not alone.

What is a 403 Forbidden Error?

In general, a 403 error means the server understood your request, but refuses to fulfill it. In other words, you don’t have permission to do whatever you just tried to do.

In Mastodon, the error message might appear vague: “403: This action is not allowed.”

The same message can show up in a few different situations, so there are several reasons it might show up for you.

Common Cause: Trying to Join an Invite-Only Server

One of the most common reasons for encountering a 403 on Mastodon is trying to create an account on a server that is invite-only. In this case, you’ll be blocked from registering unless you have a valid invite link from another user on that server.

You can check a server’s status on joinmastodon.org, or look for “invite-only” notices on the server’s registration page.

If this sounds like your situation, you have a few options:

1. Pick a different server that’s open for signups.
2. Request an invite from a friend or someone on that server.
3. Host your own server if you’re feeling ambitious (and have the time, money, and effort to put into it).

This was the main cause for 403 errors when this article was originally published in November 2022. At the time, Twitter users were looking for alternative social media platforms. Many who wanted to try Mastodon reported issues while joining the open source social platform. Some of these issues were caused by the servers being ill-equipped to handle so many new users joining in a short period of time. Some servers switched to invite-only at this time to protect themselves, which triggered 403 Forbidden error messages for many new users (myself included) with not explanation for the cause.

Other Reasons for a 403 on Mastodon

Based on GitHub issue #9770 and Mastodon’s own documentation, a 403 message can be triggered by several other scenarios:

• You’re trying to follow a user who blocked you.
• The account you’re viewing is locked, meaning follow requests are disabled or require approval.
• Your account hasn’t confirmed its email, or is pending moderation (common with new registrations).
• You’re interacting across instances (servers), and either your server or theirs has blocked federation with the other.
• You’re trying to perform actions as a suspended or deactivated account.

In short, a 403 error isn’t always a problem with the server. It could be about your account status, or the relationship between servers.

How to Troubleshoot a 403 Error on Mastodon

You can go through a quick checklist to narrow down what kind of issue you’re having if you see a 403 Forbidden message:

1. Double check your email. Have you confirmed your address?
2. Look at your account status. Are you approved, active, and not locked?
3. Try the same account from another account if possible to see if the error is account-specific.
4. Try accessing the profile via another server to check for federation issues.
5. Contact your instance admin if you’re unsure. They may be able to provide more specific guidance.

Final Thoughts

Mastodon is a federated platform, meaning its behavior depends not just on the app, but on interactions between indepently-run servers. That makes troubleshooting errors like 403 more complex than on centralized platforms.

But the main gist of the issue remains the same: if you see a 403 error, something about the request is forbidden. Either by the server you’re on, the server you’re talking to, or the status of your account.

If you’re curious, you can dig into the official Mastodon API error documentation here.

I hope this is helpful! As always, let me know in the comments if there are other updates I need to add. I’ll check back periodically to keep things accurate.