How to fix common file permission errors

Wrong file or folder permissions can cause 403, 500, upload failures, and plugin update errors.

Overview

What this guide covers

Check for broken ownership or restrictive permissions before changing application files.

Quick checks

Before you make changes

403 or 500 errors after a migration
Plugin or theme updates failing to write files
Uploads not saving to wp-content
Permissions changed manually through FTP or SSH

Steps

Recommended process

Identify whether the issue affects uploads, file writes, or general page rendering.
Check the common permission ranges for files and folders.
Review whether a recent migration or manual change altered ownership or mode bits.
Reset the affected paths to the expected hosting-safe values.

Need more help?

Continue in the support portal

If the issue is still unresolved after the checks above, return to the support home page and use the domain checker or sign in to open a support case.

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