Midjourney Image Fetch Error 403 | Fix

Midjourney Image Fetch Error 403 can block you from accessing your generated images — discover what causes it and how to fix it quickly and reliably.

What Is the Midjourney Image Fetch Error 403 Issue?

The “Midjourney Image Fetch Error 403” appears when you’re unable to view or download an image that the bot says has been successfully generated. Instead of seeing your artwork, you get a message indicating that access to the image was denied. It’s frustrating, especially when you’ve waited for your creative output only to be blocked by a permissions issue.

This specific error — 403 — is not a bug or crash. It’s a security-related response from the server. In simple terms, it means “you’re not allowed to access this content.” The reasons can range from missing permissions to expired access tokens, or content filters blocking access.

Unlike some other Midjourney problems, this one often stems from how Discord and the image hosting service interact. The image might exist and be completely valid, but your device or network was denied access due to specific settings or restrictions.

Here’s why this error matters and why resolving it is important:

• 🔐 You are blocked from accessing your own content: The image was created, but you can’t see or download it.
• 🧱 It’s often due to permissions or access rights: It’s not always obvious why the server is denying you.
• 📥 Your work may feel “lost”: Even though it’s there, it’s temporarily unreachable.
• 🔁 Retrying doesn’t always help: The image may continue to throw the 403 error until the root issue is fixed.
• 🧭 It can affect multiple images or sessions: If not resolved, the error might keep appearing.

Let’s look at the most common reasons this happens — and what you can do about it.

📚 Table of Contents

• 🔍 Most Common Causes of Midjourney Image Fetch Error 403
• 🛠️ How to Fix Midjourney Image Fetch Error 403
• 🧪 Advanced Troubleshooting Tips
• 💬 User Experiences
• ❓ FAQ – Midjourney Image Fetch Error 403
• 📚 Related Guides

🔍 Most Common Causes of Midjourney Image Fetch Error 403

This error is all about access — whether your browser, device, or connection is being denied permission to retrieve a specific image.

Here are the most common causes:

🛠️ How to Fix Midjourney Image Fetch Error 403

Fortunately, there are several reliable ways to get around this error. The solutions below have helped many users recover access to their Midjourney images.

1. 🔄 Refresh the Page or Channel

🧠 Why it works:
Refreshing forces the system to reload session tokens and revalidate your permissions.

📌 How to do it:
• Press F5 or reload the browser window
• On mobile, pull down to refresh the Discord channel
• Reopen the image message

2. 🔗 Open the Image Link Directly in a Browser

🧠 Why it works:
This bypasses the Discord preview layer and requests the image from the source.

📌 How to do it:
• Right-click the broken image
• Select “Copy Link”
• Paste the link into a browser tab and press Enter

3. 🔐 Disable VPN, Proxy, or Firewalls

🧠 Why it works:
These tools often interfere with image CDN permissions or IP-based access controls.

📌 How to do it:
• Temporarily turn off your VPN or proxy
• Pause any firewall software
• Retry opening the image link again

4. 🧹 Clear Browser Cache and Cookies

🧠 Why it works:
Old session data or invalid tokens can confuse the permission system.

📌 How to do it:
• Open browser settings
• Clear cache and cookies
• Restart the browser and try the image again

5. 🌐 Use a Different Device or Network

🧠 Why it works:
Device-specific or network-level filters may be denying image access silently.

📌 How to do it:
• Try from your mobile phone or another PC
• Switch from mobile data to Wi-Fi or vice versa
• Reattempt opening the image URL

6. 📂 Download the Image Using Web Discord

🧠 Why it works:
The browser version of Discord may handle permissions differently than the app.

📌 How to do it:
• Open Discord in a browser like Chrome or Firefox
• Navigate to the message with the image
• Right-click and download the file

7. 🔁 Re-Run the Prompt in a Different Channel

🧠 Why it works:
Access issues can be linked to channel-specific restrictions.

📌 How to do it:
• Copy your original prompt
• Paste it into an official Midjourney channel (like #newbies)
• Let the bot generate a new image there

8. 🚫 Disable Extensions Temporarily

🧠 Why it works:
Extensions like privacy filters or script blockers can disrupt the image fetch process.

📌 How to do it:
• Open your browser in Incognito/Private Mode
• Retry the image link
• If it works, disable extensions one by one to find the culprit

🧪 Advanced Troubleshooting Tips

Still stuck? These deeper technical steps can help resolve persistent 403 errors, especially for power users.

1. 🌍 Change DNS to a Public Service

🧠 Why it works:
Public DNS like Cloudflare or Google often resolve CDN links more reliably.

📌 How to do it:
• Open your network settings
• Set DNS to 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8
• Save and restart your browser

2. 🧰 Use DevTools to Inspect the Error

🧠 Why it works:
DevTools can show you exactly why the request was denied.

📌 How to do it:
• Press F12 in Chrome
• Go to the Network tab
• Reload the image link and look for a 403 response with explanation

3. 🕒 Sync Your System Clock

🧠 Why it works:
Misaligned clocks can interfere with SSL tokens and access permissions.

📌 How to do it:
• Go to Date & Time settings
• Enable automatic time sync
• Retry accessing the image

4. 🔄 Flush DNS and Renew IP

🧠 Why it works:
Refreshing your connection can clear network-based permission problems.

📌 How to do it:
• Open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac)
• Use: ipconfig /flushdns and ipconfig /renew
• Retry the image link in a browser

💬 User Experiences

I kept getting 403 errors when trying to download images. Switching from the Discord app to the browser solved the problem instantly.
— Ethan, Video Editor

My VPN was the issue. I disabled it temporarily, and all the images loaded without errors.
— Naomi, Illustrator

I thought the image was gone forever, but when I opened the link in Chrome instead of Safari, it worked fine.
— Rafael, UI Designer

❓ FAQ – Midjourney Image Fetch Error 403

🚫 What does a 403 error mean in Midjourney?
• It means the image file exists, but your request to view it was denied by the server.

🔐 Is this a permissions issue?
• Yes. It often relates to session, network, or access rights problems.

🖼️ Can the image still be saved?
• Sometimes. Opening the image directly in a browser often bypasses the error.

🌐 Does this happen more on mobile?
• Yes. The Discord mobile app is more likely to trigger CDN-related errors.

🛡️ Can antivirus software block image access?
• Definitely. Try disabling antivirus or content filters temporarily to test.

🧭 Do Midjourney image links expire?
• Yes, some links may become inaccessible after a certain time window.

🧪 How do I know if it’s a CDN block?
• Use browser DevTools to inspect the network response — look for “403 Forbidden.”

📶 Can network settings cause this?
• Yes. VPNs, proxies, DNS settings, and firewalls often interfere with image retrieval.

🗣️ What Do You Think?

Seeing a Midjourney Image Fetch Error 403 can feel like losing your work, but in most cases, the image is still there — you just need the right access path. If a fix here worked for you, or if you found a different solution, feel free to share it below to help others.

📚 Related Guides

• Midjourney Unable To Generate Image
• Midjourney iOS Not Working
• Midjourney Android Not Working
• Midjourney Not Working After Update

📢 About the Author

At AIFixup, our team brings over 5 years of hands-on experience in conceptualizing, developing, and optimizing AI tools. Every piece of content you see on this platform is rooted in real-world expertise and a deep understanding of the AI landscape.

Beyond our public content, we also share exclusive insights and free prompt collections with our subscribers every week. If you’d like to receive these valuable resources directly in your inbox, simply subscribe to our Email Newsletter—you’ll find the sign-up form at the bottom right corner of this page.