When a feed URL is blocked
Some stores block automated fetches with a 403. Here is what MartechFlow does about it automatically, and the durable fixes when even the fallback is refused.
Why a feed gets blocked
Many retailers run bot protection or a web application firewall (WAF), such as Akamai or Cloudflare, in front of their site. These systems can block automated requests coming from data-center IP addresses, even when the request is for your own feed URL. When that happens, the fetch comes back with a 403 (forbidden) response and the feed cannot read your products.
This is not a problem with your URL or your data. The store's protection simply refused an automated visitor. MartechFlow makes its requests look like an ordinary browser to get past most of these systems, but the most aggressive setups still block them.
What MartechFlow does automatically
You usually do not have to do anything. When a scheduled feed run hits a 403, MartechFlow automatically retries the fetch through a fallback route designed to get past bot protection, and continues the run if that succeeds. While it retries you may briefly see an unblocking status on the run.
This automatic fallback is used only for feed URL sources, only after a direct fetch is blocked, and within a shared monthly limit, so it is a transparent safety net rather than something you manage. It is also held to the same safety checks as a normal fetch (only public web addresses are allowed). If the fallback succeeds, the feed updates as usual and there is nothing more to do.
When even the fallback is blocked
If the store refuses even the fallback route, MartechFlow stops and shows a help panel on the feed instead of failing silently. The panel appears only when a block is actually detected, and it offers durable fixes so the feed can keep updating on its own.
The durable fixes
Pick whichever of these you can act on. The first keeps using the same URL; the others switch to a source the store cannot block.
- Allow-list MartechFlow's server IP. The help panel shows the exact IP address (with a one-click copy). Send it to whoever manages the store's bot protection and ask them to allow it. On Akamai that is an allow list; on Cloudflare it is an IP Access Rule or a WAF skip. Once allowed, the live URL works directly with no fallback needed.
- Connect your store directly. A Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, or Google Merchant Center connection pulls through the platform's own API and skips the blocked URL entirely. This is the most reliable fix when you cannot edit the store's firewall.
- Upload a file for a quick test. A one-time Excel or CSV upload gets you unblocked immediately, but remember it is a snapshot and will not auto-update, so use it as a stopgap rather than a permanent source.