Forum Discussion
Data from a web page - error is "Access to the resource is forbidden."
Details: "Access to the resource is forbidden.", can anyone let me know how to resolve this error
4 Replies
Try this in order—one of these almost always works:
- Clear old permissions first
Go to Data → Get Data → Data Source Settings → Clear Permissions for that URL, then try again. - Bypass Copilot and use Power Query directly
Go to Data → From Web, paste the URL. If the site blocks bots, open the Advanced Editor and add a User-Agent header so the request looks like a browser:
= Web.Contents("your-url", [Headers=[#"User-Agent"="Mozilla/5.0"]])
- If all else fails and you understand the risk
In Power Query, go to Data Source Settings → Privacy → "Ignore Privacy Levels", then retry.
My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!
Hope this will help you.
Was the answer useful? Mark as best response and like it!
This will help all forum participants.
- Clear old permissions first
403 “forbidden” is the website rejecting the request, not Excel itself. Try these in order:
1. Clear saved credentials: Data → Get Data → Data Source Settings, find the URL, Edit/Clear Permissions, then refresh and re-enter.
2. Try a different auth kind when prompted — Anonymous for public sites, Basic/Web API/Organizational for protected ones.
3. Open the URL in a browser. If it loads there but not in Power Query, the site is blocking non-browser requests (Cloudflare, bot filtering, etc.) and there’s no workaround from Excel — you’d need an API.
4. Check for a login wall. Power Query can’t handle interactive sign-ins.
If you share the URL, we can tell you which one it is.
Tried the work arounds and still won't work.
https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/663320/results/m/2/100m
I checked the link you provided:
https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/663320/results/m/2/100mThe server is returning a 403 Forbidden error. Importantly, this is the website actively refusing the request — it is not an Excel or Power Query limitation.
Key nuance (based on how Athletic.net behaves)
A 403 on this site often does not mean the page is private or requires login.
More commonly, it means:- You are accessing a deep link directly, without the necessary navigation context (e.g., visiting the main meet page first).
- The server expects a specific referer header, session state, or cookies from normal browsing.
- The endpoint blocks direct/automated requests but works fine when reached interactively.
What to try next (in order)…
1. Test in a normal browser starting from the main meet page
- Go to the main meet page (e.g., https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/663320)
- Navigate to results → men → 100m from there.
- If that works, the deep link itself is valid but requires context. Power Query cannot replicate that browsing flow.
2. If it loads only in a browser but not in Power Query
- The site is likely blocking non-browser requests (bot protection, missing headers, session checks).
- There is no reliable workaround from Excel directly.
3. Check for built-in export options
- On the main meet results page (loaded normally), look for a CSV, Excel, or Print button.
- Athletic.net does not provide a stable public API for scraping, but occasional UI exports exist.
4. If it never loads at all — even when navigating normally
- The link may be restricted, temporary, or invalid. Consider contacting Athletic.net support.
Bottom line…
A 403 here means “you can’t access it this way” — not necessarily “you can’t access it.”
If the data loads when you navigate normally, it’s accessible but not automation-friendly.
If it never loads, the resource is likely blocked or broken.
