Why a 403 can still mean reachable
The difference between receiving a response and being able to use a website.
A reply is not the same as a working page
“The site responded” means the latest check received a response that met the monitor’s rule. By default, that is HTTP 200–499. A 403 means access was denied, but something on the target path answered the request.
That is useful when you want to distinguish a blocked automated request from a connection that received no reply. It does not establish that you can browse the site, sign in or use every feature.
Read the time beside the result
The displayed result belongs to one request at one time. If the page reports a freshness problem, keep it as the last observation—not an answer about what is happening now.
A timeout, connection failure or 500-level response fails the default check. The response code and measured latency, when available, describe that request only.
If your browser disagrees
Try the site from the device and network you actually need to use. Your connection, DNS and bot-protection treatment may differ from this monitor’s.
Then look at History to see whether failed checks repeated. Neither one successful visit nor one failed request describes every visitor’s experience.