A connection request that appears to threaten the site can trigger Cloudflare’s 1020 “Access Denied” error.
Missing or outdated website information, or a server crash, can sometimes trigger error 1020 by mistake.
What can you do to resolve Cloudflare Error 1020 Access Denied quickly?
Start with the checks below.
What is a 1020 Error on Cloudflare?
Cloudflare Error 1020: Access Denied indicates that you’ve violated a firewall rule and your connection request has been blocked. There are a few issues that can cause a legitimate IP address to be blocked by error 1020 from accessing your website, and often it’s a quick fix.
If your IP address is legitimate, the error is straightforward to fix.
You can now move from identifying the error to troubleshooting it.
Try the following fixes.
How To Fix Cloudflare Error 1020: Access Denied
- Check Whether Cookies Are Allowed
- Clear Your Cache & Cookies
- Check Your Server Configuration
- Contact Cloudflare Support
1. Check Whether Cookies Are Allowed
Cookies let Cloudflare customise certain site features in response to a visitor’s actions.
Cloudflare can then make the site faster for visitors and tailor it to their actions and interests.
Cookie-related problems can also prevent you from accessing a site.
Make sure your browser allows cookies. Pages with stricter cookie-related firewall rules may otherwise return error 1020.
Some browser extensions prevent cookies from being stored.
If your browser will not accept the site’s cookie, turn extensions off and on to check whether one is blocking it.
2. Clear Your Cache & Cookies
Your browser stores website data so the site can load faster on later visits. Errors in that saved data can produce an “error 1020: access denied” message, even on a site you previously visited without problems.
Open your browser settings to clear your cache.
Clear the cookie data too. Some browsers let you remove data for just the website affected by the error.
On your next visit, the browser will load fresh site data, as it would for a first visit.
3. Check Your Server Configuration
If troubleshooting your computer does not restore access, the problem may lie in the backend or site configuration. Start by inspecting the firewall rules.
Only the site owner or webmaster can make these checks.
Otherwise, ask the site owner to check for you. Send them this direct link to this section.
As the site owner, log in and open your site in the Cloudflare dashboard.
Check that the correct certificates are installed and loaded, then review the firewall rules and server configuration. The software tools in Cloudflare’s dashboard can help you inspect these settings.
Search the logging window for an IP address or domain name to confirm whether your firewall caused the issue.
The firewall or an application using it may cause the rule violation that triggers error 1020. That information can help explain why “error 1020: access denied” blocks the site.
If the “access denied” error 1020 Cloudflare message remains, check the individual rules next.
Disable firewall rules individually to test them. Keep only the rules required for critical security and safety enabled.
Once you have identified the mandatory rules, try disabling some rules to find which one blocks the safe IP address.
To protect only the part of your site under attack, disable MWS across the domain. Use Cloudflare page rules to stop requests from malicious IP addresses reaching specific URLs.
4. Contact Cloudflare Support
If you cannot identify the cause of your site’s problem, contact Cloudflare’s support team for help.
Your plan may determine the support available to you. Some plans lack 24/7 support, and users on a free plan may have to wait for help.
Summary
An “Access denied” error can be frustrating, though it is often straightforward to resolve. First check that cookies are enabled, or refresh the site by clearing its cache and cookies.
Check Cloudflare’s logs for details about the block. If your own setup appears correct, review Cloudflare’s firewall settings next. Contact Cloudflare support if those checks fail; the help available may depend on your plan.
