403 Forbidden when editing a draft theme file

  • Resolved bahamohamed

    (@bahamohamed)


    2 days, 18 hours ago

    Hello WPVibe team,

    I’m using WPVibe through ChatGPT/Codex to prepare a French–Arabic version of my WordPress site on a Hostinger staging environment.

    Reading the site and draft theme works, but editing a draft theme file fails with:

    WP API 403: Forbidden

    Environment:

    • Site: https://test.amliving.pro/
    • Hosting: Hostinger
    • WordPress: 7.1
    • PHP: 8.3.33
    • WPVibe plugin: 1.16.5
    • Active theme: Houzez 4.4.0
    • Draft theme: houzez-wpvibe-draft
    • File: js/custom.js
    • Failing tool: wpvibe_edit_file

    The requested change is a JavaScript fix intended to preserve the selected commune when the search results page loads. Two identical edit attempts returned 403. Reading the file afterwards confirmed that no change had been saved. The draft has not been published.

    The connection diagnostic completed on September 17, 2026 at 14:18:54 UTC and passed:

    • Authenticated administrator access, direct and relay.
    • WordPress REST API and WPVibe plugin checks.
    • Verification of signed operation approvals.
    • WordPress address and Application Password availability checks.

    Additional authenticated checks confirmed edit_themes, edit_files and edit_theme_options capabilities. DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT and DISALLOW_FILE_MODS are not defined.

    The diagnostic’s HTTP 401 responses concern unauthenticated Application Password endpoint checks. Authenticated access succeeds. The diagnostic did not test the failing file edit.

    Could you investigate the failed wpvibe_edit_file requests and identify the exact reason for the 403? If the refusal comes from the hosting or firewall layer, please provide the failed request’s REST route, UTC timestamp and request ID so I can contact Hostinger with the relevant evidence.

    The tool did not expose those details. The diagnostic timestamp above is not the timestamp of the failed write.

    Thank you.

    The page I need help with: [log in to see the link]

Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)
  • Plugin Author John Turner

    (@johnnytee)

    2 days, 15 hours ago

    Thanks for checking that the file stayed unchanged and separating the diagnostic time from the failed edits.

    Please update WPVibe to 1.17.2 through WordPress Updates first. I haven’t confirmed a fix for this specific 403.

    The edit tool uses POST /wpvibe/v1/file/edit, normally through /?rest_route=/wpvibe/v1/file/edit. The passing connectivity checks don’t test that write, and “Forbidden” alone doesn’t establish whether WordPress or a firewall refused it.

    Could you email support@wpvibe.ai from your WPVibe account address with the approximate failed-edit time and timezone, the conversation excerpt containing the error, and your diagnostic report? That will help me investigate privately. I don’t have the failed request’s timestamp or request ID from this public report.

    If anything doesn’t behave as expected, post back here and I’ll help you sort it out.

    Thanks,
    John

Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)

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