Page Error 404: Can't access Jotform with VPN enabled

User is having issues accessing Jotform while using a VPN. He receives a 403 error. Jotform works when he turns off his VPN.

Another user sometimes has the same issue when using a VPN.

What do you suggest for situations where it is unsafe to pause VPN connection in order to access Jotform?

Hi Namati,

Thanks for reaching out to Jotform Support. Access to Jotform services can be restricted in certain countries due to factors like local government policies or international sanctions. This may be why you're encountering Error 403 when accessing your account with a VPN enabled.

Here are some notable cases:

• China: Users in mainland China often face difficulties accessing Jotform forms due to the country's internet censorship policies, commonly referred to as the Great Firewall.
• Russia, Iran, and Syria: As of May 20, 2023, Jotform has disabled new account sign-ups from these countries to comply with the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions.

The internet accessibility can vary due to evolving regulations and restrictions. If you're encountering this issue in a different country, it could be related to local policies or other external factors.

Reach out again if you have any other questions.

Hello,

Thank you for the explanation, but please note that it's quite important for our continued use of Jotform as we have staff scattered across countries where VPN usage is necessary. Can you provide suggestions so we can continue to access Jotform while using a VPN?

Hi Namati,

I understand the importance of being able to access Jotform while ensuring security through VPN usage, especially with a distributed team. While we cannot guarantee full functionality with all VPNs due to potential IP address blocking or location restrictions, here are a few suggestions to help mitigate the issue:

• Ensure your VPN is set to a server in a region where Jotform is fully accessible. Avoid countries known to have restrictions on internet services or Jotform access.
• Many VPNs allow you to enable split tunneling, which lets you access specific websites outside the VPN tunnel while keeping the rest of your traffic protected. This can help avoid conflicts with Jotform’s security protocols.
• Contact your VPN provider to determine if their IP ranges are blocked or flagged by Jotform. They may offer specific servers or configurations optimized for your needs.

If you continue to face issues, let us know the specific VPN server locations or IP addresses you’re using so we can check it on our end.

Thanks for your patience, we appreciate it.

Thanks. How do we know if countries have restrictions on Jotform access or if IP ranges are blocked or flagged by Jotform?

Hi Namati,

I've gone ahead and reached out to our relevant team about this. We'll get back to you as soon as we get an update from them.

Thanks for your patience, we appreciate it.

Hi Namati,

As mentioned earlier in my previous reply, certain countries like China, Russia, Iran, and Syria may have restrictions on Jotform due to local regulations or international sanctions. If your team operates from countries outside these, it's worth checking if local governments or ISPs impose additional restrictions.

Jotform does not maintain a public list of blocked IP ranges or server locations. However, some VPN IP addresses may inadvertently get flagged due to suspicious activity or association with high-risk regions.

To check if a particular IP is flagged, can you try accessing Jotform through a different VPN server or without the VPN to confirm if the issue is specific to the current server or IP address? Lastly, you can share the specific VPN server location or IP range you're using, and we can investigate further.

You can also contact your VPN provider and request details about the server's IP range or any potential blocks related to their service. They may provide alternative servers optimized for secure access to Jotform.

Reach out again if there’s anything else we can do for you.

My forms don't work with VPN either.

I answered your other question on a new thread. You can go ahead and check that out here.

Let us know if you have any other question.

How am I supposed to know which IP's a potential client/customer will be coming from? I don't understand why Jotform is blocking IP's at all. I understand geographic blocks... but if Jot is blocking IP's from VPNs they are blocking hundreds if not thousands of potential customers.

Hi Namati,

Unfortunately, we cannot provide a specific list of blocked IP addresses. But you can advise them to reach out to your VPN provider to see if certain Jotform-related IPs are being blocked on their end. In addition, you can ask them to check and whitelist Jotform, especially in their office. You can check this guide Whitelisting Jotform IP Addresses and Domains for more information.

Keep us updated and let us know if you need any more help.

There are dozens of VPN providers; I can't reach out to all of them on behalf of unknown users and ask them to whitelist JotForm.

Moreover, VPNs are not in the business of blocking websites or IPs. It's not something they do.

This is 100% on Jot to fix. Jot isn't allowing assets to load if they come from specific networks/IPs/VPNs.

Hi Namati,

To help us investigate this issue further, can you provide the following details:

1. The IP addresses of the users who are unable to access the form while their VPN is enabled. You can use this website to obtain the IP address.
2. The VPN server being used by these users so we can try to replicate the issue on our end.

Once we hear back from you, we'll be able to move forward with a solution.

I can toggle through many VPN servers, and they all make the forms broken. Unfortunately, I can't provide you with the thousands of IP addresses that every VPN provider might use. Here’s a list of the VPN servers I just attempted to use: 86.107.55.228, 45.88.222.155, 45.140.184.44, 192.145.118.51 (non of them worked)

Instead of "whitelisting" specific IPs from VPNs, I'm asking JotForm to adopt a more realistic and practical approach. More users are utilizing VPNs, and blocking them is disrupting JotForm's functionality. It seems that JotForm is implementing certain protocols and rules to block VPN usage, which is not an effective practice. I am requesting that JotForm stop this restriction altogether, rather than just whitelisting a few dozen IP addresses.

Hi Namati,

You can try using the following domains for your forms below if your users having issues accessing Jotform.

• https://eu.jotform.com
• https://form.jotform.com
• https://www.jotform.com
• https://www.jotform.ca

Keep us updated and let us know if you need any more help.

I don't think you are undertanding the root of the problem here.

Users/customers/clients will be visiting my form. If the form doesn't work/load for them, they just go away and never come back. They don't have any way to reach out to me when the form isn't working. They look at the broken form and think "wow this was a waste of time"

The forms just need to work, and load, regardless of the users VPN connection.

Hi Namati,

I accessed your form while the VPN was enabled to see if I could replicate the issue, but everything worked as expected. Please check out the screenshot below for the results:

Also, I reviewed the location of the IP addresses you provided and found that they are based in the United States, which is not included in the list of blocked countries.

Since you mentioned that you are also able to replicate this issue, can you take a screenshot of the Console Log from your browser while attempting to access the form? We’ve got a guide here that’ll show you how to do that. This will help us investigate further.

Once we hear back from you, we'll be able to move forward with a solution.