403 Forbidden error that says, "You don't have permission to access this."

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1

Hi everyone,

I’m running into a problem with my n8n workflow when trying to update items in Directus. I’m getting a 403 Forbidden error that says, “You don’t have permission to access this.” It seems like my credentials or permissions might be off, but I’m not sure how to fix it.

Here’s the situation in simple terms:
What I’m trying to do: Use an n8n HTTP Request node to update items in a Directus collection.

The error: I’m seeing a message that says “Forbidden - perhaps check your credentials?” with a 403 error code, which means the API is blocking me because of permission issues.

Details: The error happens in an n8n node called “Update items in Directus” (using n8n-nodes-base. httpRequest, version 4.2). I’m running n8n version 1.110.1 (self-hosted). The error occurred on September 18, 2025, at 4:30 PM. The Directus API is returning a message saying I don’t have permission to access the resource.

What I’ve tried: I checked my authentication setup (using an access token or email/password to log in via /auth/login). The token seems valid, but I’m not sure if the user or role in Directus has the right permissions. The HTTP Request node is set up to send a PATCH or PUT request to update an item in a Directus collection.

Questions for the community: Has anyone seen this “403 Forbidden” error with Directus and n8n before? How did you fix it? How can I check if my Directus user or role has the right permissions to update items in the collection? Could this be related to how I’m passing the access token in n8n? I’m using the Authorization: Bearer header.

Any tips on debugging this in n8n or Directus to figure out what’s blocking the request?

Extra Info: I’m not sure if I’m using a static token or one from /auth/login, but I can share more details about my setup if needed. The Directus instance might be self-hosted or cloud-based (I can confirm if that helps). I haven’t checked the Directus user permissions yet, but I suspect that might be the issue. Any advice or step-by-step suggestions would be super helpful!

Thanks in advance for your help. :raising_hands:

2

Hello @Dominic_Frielinghaus

To fix your 403 Forbidden error when updating items in Directus via n8n, try using a static token for authentication, as it provides a reliable, non-expiring key for API access. Learn how to set up static tokens in this Directus TV episode: What are static tokens? | Directus TV. Additionally, ensure the Directus role linked to the token has the proper permissions. Check the role’s access control settings in Directus under Settings → Roles & Permissions → [Your Role], confirming it has Update access for the specific collection and fields you’re targeting. For more on configuring access control, watch this Directus TV episode: What is access control? | Directus TV. These steps should help you resolve the permission issue causing the error.