🔍 What Is This Error?
When using the Search Atlas MCP (Model Context Protocol) server with an AI client like Claude to manage or edit your website, you may encounter an HTTP 403 error with a message such as "You do not have permission to perform this action." This error can appear when running playbooks, accessing SEO tools, or executing any MCP-connected operation.
This is an authentication and permissions issue — it means the MCP server cannot verify that your session has the correct access rights to carry out the requested action.
⚠️ Common Triggers
- Your MCP API credentials are missing, expired, or were not saved correctly.
- The MCP connection was set up under a different workspace or user account than the one currently active.
- Your Search Atlas session timed out, invalidating the active WebSocket connection.
- A recent platform update reset or changed permission scopes for MCP integrations.
- The connector was configured but has not completed its authorisation handshake.
🔧 Step-by-Step Troubleshooting
- Verify you are in the correct workspace. In the left sidebar, click Coworker. At the top of the page, confirm the workspace name shown matches the project you are working on. If not, use the workspace switcher to select the right one.
- Refresh your setup status. Go to Coworker → Overview tab and click Refresh setup status. Wait for the status indicators to update. A green status on all items confirms your agent connection is healthy.
- Check your MCP connector. Navigate to Coworker → Connectors tab and click Manage connectors. Locate your MCP connector. If it shows an error state or a warning icon, click into it and re-authenticate by following the on-screen prompts to re-enter your API key or OAuth credentials.
- Re-enter your Search Atlas API key in your MCP client. Open your MCP client configuration (for example, Claude's settings or your
claude_desktop_config.jsonfile). Confirm the API key entered matches the one found in your Search Atlas account. Copy a fresh key from your account settings if needed, paste it into the config, and save. - Restart the MCP server connection. After updating credentials, fully quit and relaunch your AI client (e.g., Claude Desktop) so it establishes a fresh WebSocket session with the updated credentials. Stale sessions will continue to produce 403 errors even after a key update.
- Re-run the failing playbook or tool. Return to your AI client and retry the action that produced the 403 error. If the credentials and connector are correctly configured, the request should now succeed.
💡 Tips to Prevent This Error
- Always complete the full connector setup flow in Coworker → Connectors tab before using MCP tools in your AI client.
- If you belong to multiple workspaces, double-check the active workspace before running any agent playbook — permissions are workspace-specific.
- Rotate API keys carefully: update them in your MCP client configuration immediately after generating a new key in Search Atlas to avoid session mismatches.
- Keep your AI client (Claude Desktop or similar) updated to the latest version to ensure WebSocket compatibility with the MCP server.
🚀 Still Seeing the 403 Error?
If you have followed all the steps above and the error persists, it is possible that a permission scope for your account or agent has not been correctly provisioned on the backend. This requires a manual review by our team.
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.