403 Forbidden error on antenati.cultura.gov.it links

+7 votes
735 views
All of my links to antenati.cultura.gov.it are generating "403 Forbidden" errors in WikiTree+ Suggestions. I did a search here on G2G and the similar questions seem to involve pay sites. There's no paywall on this one, so that's not the issue.

Antenati links used to be to www.antenati.san.beniculturali.it, so maybe it's just a case of needing to update the exception list? They appear to have updated their links some time between Nov '22 and Apr '23.

Thanks!

(Edited to add "ales" tag per suggestion in comments.)
in WikiTree Tech by Lorena Wolfe G2G6 (8.7k points)
edited by Lorena Wolfe

1 Answer

+3 votes
Lorena, the 403 error usually means that there is no file designated to be displayed at the location you are going to.  The link does not include a file at the end, but all websites have a default setting for the name of the file to be displayed when it is not specified.  Therefore, the most likely cause of the error is that whatever default file is specified does not exist in the root folder of that website.

Another possible cause would be that there is a file there that can be displayed, but its name is not the default so it has to be included at the end of the link.

I think the reason it is labeled "forbidden" is that if no default display file exists the browser would like to display the directory listing of the root folder of the website.  This is generally never permitted by web servers, mainly for privacy and security protections.
by Gaile Connolly G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)

Gaile, are you sure? The HTTP 403 Forbidden response status code "indicates that the server understands the request but refuses to authorize it."

Lorena, do the links work for you from your own browser? If so, a possibility is that Antenati is deliberately refusing requests from Aleš's server, maybe because of high volume.

In that case, the DDE suggestions will no longer be generated if, as you propose, the exception list is updated.

Yes, Jim, I'm pretty sure.  When there is either no file meeting the default criteria (typically index.html or default.html or the same names with extension .asp, .aspx, .php, etc.) and no other file that is there was specified in the URL, then the URL is interpreted to mean the directory listing of that folder.  Directory listings of folders on web servers is almost always blocked ... thus the forbidden message.

EDITED TO ADD:  For a real life example:

  1. Go to https://www.gcube.us/holiday/Christmas2021 to see my Christmas card for that year.  Note that no file name is at the end of the URL in the address window.  That is because the displayed file is named default.asp, which is automatically displayed when it exists in that folder if no other file name is included in the URL.
  2. On there, click one of the page links - past, present, or future - and note that there is a named file at the end of the URL in the address window.
  3. Now, change the 2022 to 2023 and go.  You should see a file not found error - that's because there is no file in that folder with the same name as the one that is still left over in the URL from the 2022 card.  If you delete that file name, then you will see my 2023 card.
  4. Now change the address to remove the year completely (you will be going to https://www.gcube.us/holiday).  This time, you should get the 403 forbidden error because there are no files in that folder - it only has subfolders.

Sorry, Gaile, I think you are wrong.

An example of a link on a profile managed by Lorena which is receiving a DDE 966 "403 Forbidden" suggestion is

https://antenati.cultura.gov.it/ark:/12657/an_ua250337/wR7DVea

From where I am, this link works fine. The problem is specific to Aleš's server, which apparently has been forbidden to have access.

Sorry, Jim ... I had forgotten about that.  I believe those kind of blocks are put on access from certain countries by some servers and you're right - it does make sense for the 403 error to display in these situations also.

I just copied the following from the 403 error page resulting from my example (above):

This error occurs when a document is not specified in the URL, no default document is specified for the Web site or application, and directory listing is not enabled for the Web site or application. This setting may be disabled on purpose to secure the contents of the server.

I would expect that when the 403 error results from a country being blocked, the error page will contain a relevant description.

I have five Antenati links showing as 403. All five of them are the same pattern as the one Jim showed, and all work when I try to access them in my browser.

Thank you for the details, Lorena. It may help to gain attention for the issue if you edit your question and add the tag  ales  .

Lorena, The same situation pops up randomly on profiles I work on using sources from antenati. I first check to make sure I didn't do anything stupid laugh....then I just mark it as FALSE and move on.

Ales tag added, thanks :-).

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