You are logged in, but every request returns:
API Error: 403 {"error":{"type":"forbidden","message":"Request not allowed"}}
One message, three causes. The official docs list three branches. Work through them in order.
1. Is the subscription active? [official]
On Claude Pro or Max, verify your subscription is active at claude.ai/settings. A failed payment or an expired plan surfaces as this message.
2. Do you have the role? [official]
On an Anthropic Console account, the account needs the Claude Code or Developer role. An admin assigns it in the Console under Settings → Members.
This never bites on personal accounts but is common on company ones. If it worked yesterday and stopped today, check whether your role changed.
3. Is a proxy in the way? [official]
The docs state that corporate proxies can interfere with API requests and point to the network configuration guide. If you are behind one, set the variables explicitly:
export HTTP_PROXY=http://proxy.example.com:8080
export HTTPS_PROXY=http://proxy.example.com:8080
Ask your IT team for the URL, or read it from your browser's proxy settings.
Region-restricted and VPN setups [community report]
A public documentation issue reports that the terminal and Desktop app do not inherit system proxy settings, causing persistent 403s in region-restricted areas. Another user on the same issue added that the Desktop app's Chat tab respects system proxy settings while the Code tab does not.
That behavioural difference is not in the official documentation. It is a user report, and the request to document it is still open. The environment-variable step above *is* official guidance, so if turning on a system-wide proxy is not enough, setting the variables in your terminal is a reasonable next move.
Claude Code is also limited to supported countries. Rather than routing around that with a VPN, confirm you are connecting normally from a supported country.
Sorting the branch quickly
| Situation | Check first |
|---|---|
| Personal account, worked yesterday | 1 — subscription |
| Company Console account | 2 — role |
| VPN, proxy, or overseas | 3 — network |
| Web Chat works, Code does not | 3 — likely proxy inheritance |
That last row matters most. If the web works and only the terminal is blocked, this is far more likely to be a network problem than an account problem.