Problem: The client activated WPML Multilingual CMS and encountered a 403 Forbidden error on the Setup page, despite having the correct file/folder permissions and REST API enabled. Solution: We recommended the following steps to identify and resolve the issue: 1. Create a full website backup. 2. Disable all plugins except for WPML and its add-ons. 3. Check if the issue persists. 4. If the issue does not persist, reactivate the plugins one by one to identify the problematic plugin. 5. If the issue persists even with non-WPML plugins disabled, switch to a default WordPress theme like TwentySeventeen and check again. We advised performing these steps in a staging environment if possible.
If this solution does not resolve the issue or seems outdated, please check the related known issues, verify the version of the permanent fix, and confirm that you have installed the latest versions of themes and plugins. If the problem continues, we highly recommend opening a new support ticket at WPML support forum.
