What Is Cloudflare Error 1020 "Access Denied" + Simple Steps to Fix

You’re browsing the internet, click on a link, and suddenly—boom—you’re hit with a “Cloudflare Error 1020: Access Denied” message. Frustrating, right?

If you’ve been there, you’re definitely not alone. Cloudflare’s Error 1020 is a common obstacle that pops up when their firewall thinks your request looks suspicious. While it’s designed to protect websites, sometimes it gets it wrong and blocks genuine users.

The good news? Whether you're a casual browser, a website owner, or even a developer working on scraping tools, this guide will walk you through what this error actually means—and more importantly—how to bypass or fix it.

Let’s dive in.

What is Cloudflare Error 1020 and why does it matter?

Cloudflare Error 1020, also known as the “Access Denied” error, shows up when you’ve tripped a firewall rule set by the website owner via Cloudflare. Cloudflare itself acts like a security gate in front of millions of websites—keeping out harmful traffic like bots, attackers, and suspicious requests.

But every now and then, the system blocks someone who wasn’t doing anything wrong.

Understanding this error is important because it affects both sides of the coin:

• Visitors get locked out of sites they’re trying to access.
• Site owners risk turning away legitimate users if their firewall settings are too strict.

So whether you’re locked out or trying to stop false positives, knowing how this works helps you solve the problem faster.

What are the key causes of Error 1020?

Let’s break down the most common reasons you might run into this error.

Triggered Firewall Rules

This is the big one. Cloudflare lets site owners create custom rules that block traffic based on:

• IP address or geographic location
• Browser behavior and headers
• Suspicious activity like too many requests in a short time
• Accessing restricted URLs or using flagged parameters

VPN or Proxy Usage

Many users get tripped up by this without realizing it.

Here’s why:

• VPNs and proxies often use shared or blacklisted IP addresses
• Some sites don’t allow traffic from certain countries
• Traffic from VPNs can look “robotic” to security filters

Browser Settings

Believe it or not, your browser can be the culprit too:

• Cookies disabled? That can raise red flags.
• Using extensions that block ads or modify requests? Another red flag.
• An outdated browser might not handle security challenges well.

Web Scraping

Scraping websites without proper precautions often triggers Error 1020. That’s because:

• Automated bots usually make rapid-fire requests
• They often skip the behaviors of a normal human user
• They might reveal themselves through tell-tale headers or tools

What are the benefits of understanding this error?

There’s a real upside to digging into what causes this error and how to fix it:

1. Faster fixes — You know where to look and what steps to take.
2. Smoother browsing — You avoid the frustration of being blocked out.
3. Smarter site management — If you own a site, you avoid turning away good users.
4. Cleaner scraping — Developers can scrape without getting booted right away.
5. Deeper tech insight — You gain a better grasp of how modern security works online.

How Error 1020 works behind the scenes

Here’s what’s going on under the hood when Cloudflare blocks you with Error 1020.

Cloudflare sits between you and the website’s actual server. Before your request ever reaches the site, Cloudflare checks it against a bunch of rules and filters.

Those checks include:

• IP reputation — Is your IP on any bad-behavior lists?
• Request patterns — Are you making requests like a normal human, or too fast?
• Browser fingerprinting — Does your browser behave in a suspicious or non-standard way?
• Firewall rules — Are you breaking any of the site’s custom rules?

If something looks off, Cloudflare steps in and denies access. The Ray ID on the error page is like a tracking number—it helps the site owner trace exactly what rule was triggered.

Step 1: How to bypass Error 1020 as a website visitor

So you’re not doing anything shady, but you still got blocked? Here are some practical things you can try.

1. See if the problem is page-specific

Try opening other pages on the same site:

• If the homepage works but a product page doesn’t, it might just be a temporary rule
• Wait a few minutes and try again

2. Clear your cache and cookies

Cached or corrupt data can trip Cloudflare’s defenses. Here’s what to do:

• Open your browser settings
• Clear cookies and cache
• Restart the browser

3. Make sure cookies are enabled

Cloudflare sometimes uses cookies to verify that you’re a real user:

• Go into your browser’s privacy settings
• Turn cookies on (if they’re off)
• Try again in incognito mode to rule out extensions

4. Turn off your VPN or proxy

If you’re browsing through a VPN:

• Disconnect and try your regular connection
• If the site loads, the VPN IP is likely blocked
• You can try another server or location

5. Try another browser

Sometimes the problem is browser-specific:

• Switch from Chrome to Firefox or Safari
• Make sure the browser is up to date

6. Give it some time

If you’ve been rate-limited:

• Wait 15–30 minutes
• Try again when traffic might be lower

7. Reset your internet connection

Getting a new IP address might solve it:

• Restart your router/modem
• Switch to a different network (like mobile data)

8. Contact the site owner

If none of the above work:

• Look for a contact email on the site
• Send a message explaining the issue, along with your Ray ID
• Include the time and URL you were trying to access

Step 2: How to fix Error 1020 as a website owner

If users are reporting being blocked by Cloudflare, here’s how to fix things on your end.

1. Check your Cloudflare security logs

This is your first stop:

• Go to the Cloudflare dashboard
• Navigate to Security > Events
• Look at the logs for denied requests
• Use the Ray ID to pinpoint what triggered the block

2. Review your firewall rules

Once you know what rule is acting up:

• Go to Security > WAF > Firewall Rules
• Edit or refine the rule
• Make it less aggressive or add exceptions

3. Whitelist user IPs

Got a legit user being blocked?

• Go to WAF > Tools > IP Access Rules
• Add their IP and select “Allow”
• This lets them in without weakening your entire setup

4. Adjust your rate limiting

Users might be blocked simply for browsing too fast:

• Review your rate limiting settings
• Raise request limits or spread them out over a longer timeframe

5. Keep your security balanced

You want to protect your site—but not at the cost of user experience:

• Reevaluate overly strict rules
• Use layered security instead of blanket blocks

Step 3: Special case: Bypassing Error 1020 for web scraping

Trying to scrape a Cloudflare-protected site? It’s tricky—but not impossible.

1. Respect the site’s robots.txt and don’t overdo it

Start by scraping responsibly:

• Read the robots.txt file
• Add delays between requests (3–5 seconds is reasonable)
• Avoid pages that are disallowed

2. Use rotating proxies

Avoid using the same IP for every request:

• Set up a pool of residential proxies
• Rotate IPs frequently
• Skip free proxies—they’re usually already blocked

3. Rotate and spoof your User-Agent

Your scraper needs to look like a real browser:

• Use modern User-Agent strings
• Rotate them regularly
• Match headers like Accept-Language to the User-Agent

4. Use headless browsers

Forget about simple HTTP libraries—go stealth:

• Use Puppeteer or Playwright with headless Chrome
• Mask automation fingerprints
• Consider stealth plugins or tools like Undetected ChromeDriver

5. Try scraping APIs

When in doubt, use the pros:

• Web scraping APIs like ScrapingBee or ZenRows handle Cloudflare for you
• They cost money but save you hours of debugging

Step 4: Common mistakes to avoid with Error 1020

When you’re trying to get around or fix this error, steer clear of these missteps:

1. Don’t brute-force your way through

Spamming the server with retries will just get you banned for good.

2. Don’t ignore the underlying cause

It’s not enough to “get around” the error. You need to understand what’s triggering it and adapt accordingly.

3. Don’t rely on outdated tactics

Cloudflare constantly updates its defenses. If you’re still using 2020-era bypass tips, you’re probably getting blocked.

4. Don’t weaken your security setup

Site owners: Don’t turn off your firewall just to fix a user complaint. Fine-tune instead.

5. Don’t overlook patterns

Look for consistent triggers in your traffic. That’s your roadmap to a real fix.

Helpful resources to learn more

Need more help? These resources can give you a deeper understanding:

• Cloudflare Support Documentation
• Cloudflare Community Forums
• Firewall Rules Documentation
• Web Scraping Best Practices Guide

Wrapping up

Cloudflare Error 1020 isn’t random—it’s a signal that something about your request violated a site’s firewall rules. But once you understand what’s happening, fixing or avoiding it becomes a lot easier.

Whether you’re trying to access a blocked site, protect your own, or run clean scraping operations, the key is to stay informed, act ethically, and adapt your approach.

If you’ve ever faced Error 1020, we’d love to hear how you got past it. Share your experience in the comments—your solution might help someone else navigate the same roadblock.