Troubleshooting a 403 forbidden error

What it means

A 403 error (sometimes shown as "Forbidden") means the server refused the request. In Sonio, for a user who is already logged in, a 403 is a permission issue: your account does not have the right access for that resource, or the resource belongs to a different site.

A 403 error is not the same as being logged out. When your session expires, Sonio sends you back to the login screen (a different error, a 401), not a 403.

There is no dedicated 403 screen in the app. A 403 usually shows up as content that will not load, or a brief "Forbidden" message.

Step-by-step: quick fixes to try first

These steps clear the most common access hiccup. Try them in order. They take about a minute.

Log out and sign back in: log out of Sonio, close all Chrome tabs, reopen Chrome, and log back in to Sonio (us.sonio.app).
Clear your Chrome cache and cookies: log out of Sonio, open the Chrome three-dot menu then Delete browsing data, set Time range to All time, check Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files, click Delete data, then reopen Sonio and log back in.

💡Tip

Log out of Sonio when you step away for lunch or at the end of the day. A clean session prevents most of these access hiccups before they start.

If the error persists

If the quick fixes do not resolve it, the 403 is not a browser problem. Clearing cache or logging back in cannot fix a genuine permission or network issue, so there it must be one of two reasons. Pick the one that matches your situation.

Reason A: a network or proxy issue (contact your local IT)

This is the most common cause of a persistent 403 on a hospital network. Reasons your IT team can address:

A corporate proxy or web filter (for example Zscaler, or a PAC proxy) is altering or stripping the connection's authentication headers. A sign of this: errors concentrated on the live connection. The fix is for IT to bypass the proxy or web filter for Sonio, and to confirm the bypass stays in place.
The network does not allow the Sonio domains. Ask your implementation contact for the list of Sonio domains to allowlist.

Reason B: a permission or account issue (contact your Sonio admin or Sonio support)

This applies if you can reach Sonio but are refused access to a specific area, or cannot get in at all. Common reasons:

Your account was deactivated or has not been provisioned yet.
Your account does not have the right access or role for that resource.
Your organization blocks access from personal or unmanaged devices (an SSO conditional access rule).

Ask your Sonio admin or Sonio support to review your access.

⚠️Warning

Clearing your cache and cookies will not fix a permission or network 403. If the quick fixes did not work, do not keep repeating them. Move to Branch A or Branch B so the right team can resolve the cause.

Common questions / troubleshooting

I cleared my cache and the 403 is still there. What now?

That tells you it is not a stale-session issue. Move to "If the error persists" and pick Reason A (network) or Reason B (permission).

How do I know if it is a permission issue or a network issue?

If you are refused a specific area or cannot log in at all, it is likely a permission or account issue (Reason B). If the error concentrates on the live connection or appears across a hospital network, it is likely a proxy or filter issue (Reason A).

Why does Sonio send me to the login screen sometimes instead of a 403?

That is a different case. Being sent back to login means your session expired (a 401). Logging back in resolves it.