What Is Cloudflare Error 1020?
Website owners and enthusiasts often come across the term ‘error 1020 access denied’, while some are aware of the term and how to remove it, others find themselves tangled in the web of errors. Therefore, knowing what certain terms mean while accessing websites and how to avoid them becomes necessary. It will save time and will help the user browse the internet without any interference.
Access Denied error refers to Cloudflare error 1020, It occurs when the website being used is under the protection of Cloudflare and the security it gives to the website only permits certain IP addresses and countries to access the website. Cloudflare will keep the website under the protection of firewall-set rules. And if the set rule is violated, the ‘error 1020 access denied’ is shown. The security usually gets triggered when the site user directly tries to access the protected endpoint of the website. The message appears as ‘you are not authorized to access the website’ or ‘access denied.’
There are several ways to tackle this issue and it is important to dig deeper into what to do when one sees the error and what to avoid in the future. There are two groups who encounter this difficulty – website visitors and website owners.
Website Visitor
If the user, while accessing a website, is experiencing Error 1020 Access Denied and the user is just a visitor and not the owner, then the foremost thing to do would be to learn about the site owner and contact them about the issue. The site owner is responsible for solving the issue as soon as possible to avoid future traffic on their website.
The owner might ask for proof that the user is unable to access the website, therefore, it is considered advisable to take a screenshot of the Cloud flare ID, which is the number adjacent to the ‘error 1020’ message, or of the screen showing ‘error 1020 access denied.’
How To Fix The Error 1020 Access Denied
However, there are cases when the owner is not at fault and the user needs to solve the problem themselves.
Incorrect Date And Time
The user must keep an eye on their device. If the error 1020 message occurs, and the owner is not at fault, then there is a high chance that the time and date of the device are incorrect, thus, it becomes extremely important that the user ensures that the date and time set on their device is correct. If the information is set wrong, the device will find it difficult to communicate with the server and the screen will show ‘error 1020 access denied.’
VPN Issue
Another reason for the error message can be the issue of using a VPN. If the website owner has allowed access but the user is still unable to access the site, the user must check the VPN because the Virtual Private Network impacts the network positively or negatively. If the user is connected to a network, they should turn it off and load the site they are visiting again to enhance the range of the network. There are high chance that the ‘access denied’ message will disappear after the re-connection.
Cache And Corrupted Data
Another reason why the ‘error 1020 access denied’ message occurs is because of the unwanted data. ‘Error 1020’ messages sometimes occur because of corrupted browsing data and cache. The user is advised to clear cache and browsing data from time to time to keep them away from getting corrupted. Many users avoid clearing cache and data thinking that by clearing them they will lose their data and passwords. However, it has been proven by authorized data handlers that clearing cache and browsing data does not disturb your existing personal information. It is safe to clear the corrupted data before they start interrupting the user’s browsing.
Website Cookies
Not enabling cookies while using websites is considered one of the potential triggers. It generate the ‘error 1020 access denied message. The users are asked to enable cookies when they visit a website, the Cloud flare security gets triggered if the user does not enable them. The users are advised to enable the cookies whenever the page they are visiting asks them to. If the cookies automatically get disabled it is because of the default system of the device.
In cases like this, the user should check the browser. They should ensure that the system is not set at default to reject the cookies before asking the site visitor. Consider regarding the usage of cookies that the website user is accessing is not under rule of ‘sites that don’t use cookies’. Because if they are, the cookies will automatically get disabled, and the ‘access denied’ message will pop up.
Rebooting The Router
Checking the computer and router is important as well. Because there are chances that the issues are within the router which can easily be resolved by restarting the system. If the above-mentioned problems are checked and they are solved. If the error message still occurs, then it is advisable to restart the computer. Restarting the computer will get rid of any bugs that may have been resting in the user’s device. Rebooting the router will fasten the debugging process, however, if the user is considering rebooting, they must follow the instructions.
Website Owner
If the ‘access denied’ problem is faced by the owner or the website administrators and they do not have access to a cloud flare account that has firewall protection rules, then they have to contact the support team and provide them with the information they are asking. The information includes-
- The time the error access denied message occurred.
- The number of cloud flare id.
- And every step you took to tackle the issue.
If the ‘error 1020 access denied’ problem is faced by the owner or the website administrator and they have access to a cloud flare account that has firewall protection rules, then the owner has to inspect the firewall event log. By checking the event, the owner will be able to see the rule that was violated by the website visitor. They can find the rules that caused the blockage of the request.
If the owner still doesn’t see any rules being violated, then the owner is advised to call the appropriate support team.
Is The Occurrence Of ‘Error 1020 Access Denied’ Concerning?
The security provided by the CloudFlare firewall system is to protect the website from unauthorized access and malicious traffic. Thus, it can never be concerning for the website owner. However, it can sometimes frustrate the website visitor. Because it prevents them from accessing the information they are searching for. Therefore, it is advisable for the website owners to keep updating their firewall rules. It is advised to respond to the complaints and queries dropped by the users regarding the error denied message immediately. So they can continue browsing the website.
Punit