Operating system
Windows
Joplin version
5.5.12
Sync target
Nextcloud
What issue do you have?
Howdy, folks. New user, new member, first post.
I'm having some trouble getting Joplin to sync with my self-hosted (shared @ Siteground) Nextclould install. I've tried any number of variations on the path, and have also selected the 'ignore TLS' option, to no avail.
Here's the error I get:
Last error: Error: GET .sync/version.txt: Access denied: Please check your username and password (403): 403 - Forbidden | Access to this page is forbidden.
It's just not possible for my UID/PW to be incorrect. Can someone point me in the right direction?
Thanks in advance for your help!
1 Like
Try using the WebDAV sync target instead of Nextcloud
Yup, tried that a few times with no luck. I have been stopping Joplin and ending the task with Windows task manager to delete the settings.json file, but when I restart, I see the PW is still populated. Is it possible there’s another file I need to delete or change… perhaps the ipc_secret_key file?
https://mydomain.com/nc/remote.php/dav/files/myusername
You’ll need to make sure whatever directory you specified in the url has full read and write access granted for the webdav account being used (including creating directories, updating files, deleting files etc).
I’m not familiar with Nextcloud myself so can’t really help you with the server config.
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I don’t see why I shouldn’t have access as the administrator and only user. Seems odd to me. I think I saw somewhere that adding a user specifically for Joplin might help. Would that be a solution?
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Still having no luck. I can sync all other content (contacts, calendar, etc) to other clients (Thunderbird, Android via DavX5) but Joplin just doesn’t want to cooperate. I’ve tried using both WebDav and NextCloud selections, using my administrator login, and issuing an app password in security settings. Joplin confirms a success in all cases, but I keep getting this error, which makes no sense when the app reports a connection in the sync setup.
ETA: I also created an additional user as an admin, and shared the Joplin folder with edit rights. Still no luck… Joplin states ID/PW is correct in the sync config screen, but can’t access the folder.
Last error: Error: GET .sync/version.txt: Access denied: Please check your username and password (403): 403 - Forbidden | Access to this page is forbidden.
Try connecting to the webdav server with the same credentials being used in Joplin, using a WebDAV client (eg. Cyberduck) on the same computer, then go to the same directory you are pointing Joplin to and see if you are able to upload files, delete files and create a directory. If you can’t then your Nextcloud configuration is not correct
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I was able to access Nextcloud with Cyberduck and see my entire folder structure. So it’s likely an issue with Joplin somewhere.
That’s not all of what I said to do. You need to test create, delete and create folder permissions within the Joplin directory. Testing read / list permission is not sufficient, nor is testing permission at the root only
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Sorry, I’m not understanding what you’re telling me. I don’t have Joplin server installed on my hosting account at Siteground. I did try to change permissions on the NextCloud (WebDav) folder with Cyberduck (see screen shot above), but they don’t they don’t appear in the window and are grayed out (not selectable) in the properties tab. I was able to use the Siteground file manager to change permissions on the folder directly (outside Nextcloud) but I’m getting the same 403 error.
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I’m asking you to test if you can upload a dummy file onto your Nextcloud server via Cyberduck. Then try deleting the dummy file (providing the upload worked) and creating a directory there as well - all of those things using Cyberduck (nothing to do with Joplin server).
I saw on your screenshot you have a Joplin directory on your WebDAV server, which I assume is the directory you point to in the WebDAV url you supply to Joplin. So all those actions must be within that directory. WebDAV / FTP clients can sometimes give you a false impression that permissions were updated when they actually were not, so you need to actually test the permissions via a WebDAV client (eg. Cyberduck) to be able to prove anything. So far you havn’t presented any evidence that the permissions are actually set correctly.
Also, is the Joplin directory currently empty or it has some files / folders in it currently?
Just for the sake of experimentation, I installed a new, clean NextCloud to my account. I was able to connect successfully with Cyberduck, create a folder, upload a file, delete that file, then delete he folder. See attached screen shots. Still unable to connect with Joplin to sync.
ETA: I also can’t get the Joplin web clipper to work. I try to save a web page, a toast message says “Connecting to the Joplin application’ and then disappears after about 20 seconds. Is it possible there’s a Windows service that’s disabled, or a setting that’s not right?
Completed: 02/11/2026 3:30 PM (1s)
Last error: Error: GET .sync/version.txt: Access denied: Please check your username and password (403): 403 - Forbidden | Access to this page is forbidden.
Ok thanks. It’s definately not a file permissions issue then. The only other thread I could find on the forum with your exact error is this, which unfortunately has no replies Nextcloud with 2FA sync
The title of the thread says they are using 2FA though? You’re not using 2FA by any chance are you?
Also, as another test, you could try using the web app at https://app.joplincloud.com/ and see if you still get the error syncing from there
Nope, no 2FA. It’s a huge disappointment because I desperately want to get away from Evernote. It’s a great product and service, but too expensive for how much I use it. My next step is to set up Joplin server on my QNAP NAS via Docker, but I’m not a tech, so that will probably be a nightmare for me trying to figure it all out.
ETA: Here’s what’s strange. Nextcloud shows the access, but the Joplin client is still giving a 403 error and saying to check the login and pw.
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If it’s mostly just the price that you’re not happy about with Evernote, have you considered using a Joplin Cloud subscription? That is presumably a lot cheaper and you wouldn’t have to do all the techy stuff as its fully hosted.
On another note, you mentioning that you’re not a tech did make me re-read your posts, and one thing in particular stood out:
shared @ Siteground
Maybe because it is shared hosting that might have something to do with the issue. Also I asked ChatGPT about a potential Joplin issue with Sitegeound Nextcloud hosting specifically getting a 403 error and it came up with a suggestion as well as suggested shared hosting might not be the best option with Joplin:
You said:
Siteground nextcloud issue joplin
ChatGPT said:
If you're having a Joplin + Nextcloud issue on SiteGround, this is a very common setup problem. SiteGround’s shared hosting has some limitations that often break Joplin sync.
Let’s narrow it down quickly 👇
Are you getting one of these errors?
❌ “Unsupported WebDAV URL”
❌ 405 / 404 errors
❌ Timeout
❌ Joplin says sync complete but nothing uploads
❌ “Sabre\DAV\Exception\NotFound”
❌ “Unknown error 2”
🔎 Why This Happens on SiteGround
SiteGround shared hosting:
Has strict execution limits
Often blocks long WebDAV operations
May have aggressive ModSecurity rules
Sometimes disables required Nextcloud background jobs
Nextcloud needs:
Proper WebDAV endpoint
Working cron jobs
Enough memory (512MB+ recommended)
No WebDAV blocking
Joplin sync uses:
WebDAV (not the regular Nextcloud web UI)
Many small file transactions
Lock files that some hosts block
âś… 1. Correct WebDAV URL for Joplin
In Joplin → Sync target → Nextcloud
Use:
https://yourdomain.com/remote.php/dav/files/YOUR_USERNAME/Joplin
NOT:
https://yourdomain.com/nextcloud
If unsure, check in Nextcloud:
Settings → WebDAV → Copy URL
âś… 2. Create the Joplin Folder Manually
Log into Nextcloud via browser:
Create folder named:
Joplin
Make sure it’s empty
Then try sync again
âś… 3. Check Background Jobs (VERY common SiteGround issue)
In Nextcloud:
Settings → Administration → Basic settings
Background jobs should be:
Cron
NOT Ajax.
SiteGround often leaves it on Ajax, which breaks sync reliability.
âś… 4. Increase PHP Limits (Critical)
In SiteGround Site Tools → PHP Manager:
Set:
Memory limit: 512M
Max execution time: 300
Max input time: 300
âś… 5. Disable ModSecurity (If 405 / 403 errors)
In SiteGround → Security → ModSecurity
Temporarily disable and test sync.
If it works after disabling → that's your issue.
⚠️ Important: SiteGround + Nextcloud Reliability
Many users report that heavy WebDAV apps like Joplin:
Work at first
Then randomly fail
Or corrupt sync state
This is because shared hosting isn’t ideal for Nextcloud.
🚀 Better Alternatives (If Problems Continue)
If you're serious about using Joplin + Nextcloud long term:
Better hosting options:
VPS (DigitalOcean, Hetzner)
Managed Nextcloud provider
Or use Joplin Cloud
🧪 Quick Test
In browser, open:
https://yourdomain.com/remote.php/dav/files/YOUR_USERNAME/
If you see XML response → WebDAV works
If you see error → hosting issue
If you tell me:
The exact error message
Whether you're on shared or cloud hosting
Whether this worked before
I can diagnose it precisely and give you the correct fix.
You said:
Getting 403 error
ChatGPT said:
A 403 Forbidden with Joplin + Nextcloud on SiteGround almost always means ModSecurity or permissions blocking WebDAV.
Since you're on SiteGround and syncing Joplin with Nextcloud, here’s the exact checklist to fix it:
✅ Step 1 — Disable ModSecurity (Most Common Fix)
On SiteGround:
Site Tools → Security → ModSecurity → OFF
Then immediately test sync again in Joplin.
👉 If it works after disabling, ModSecurity is the cause.
You can leave it off or ask SiteGround support to whitelist WebDAV rules for Nextcloud.
