check_circleWP Rocketerror403securityfirewallstylecritical-csssettingsserver_configurationstar_halfUncommonwarningModerate

Invalid response code 403

WP Rocket tries to generate Critical CSS by requesting a special URL on the site. The request receives a 403 Forbidden response. The server refuses to serve the page, so the generator cannot create the CSS file.

The block originates from security layers, .htaccess rules, missing IP allow‑list, maintenance mode, or file permission problems. When the request is denied, the admin panel shows an error and pages may display unstyled content.

Symptoms

[dashicons-warning]
Error notice in admin
WP Rocket displays “Invalid response code 403” next to the Critical CSS button.
[dashicons-no]
No Critical CSS file
Generation process stops and no CSS file is created.
[dashicons-admin-site]
FOUC on pages
Pages flash unstyled content before full styles load.

Common Causes

Security firewall block
ModSecurity, Wordfence, Cloudflare Bot Fight Mode or similar returns 403 for the generator request.
.htaccess restriction
Deny rules in wp‑content or cache folders prevent external access.
Missing IP allow‑list
WP Rocket IP range is not whitelisted on the host or CDN.
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