"Sorry, you do not have permissions to access this application" when accessing Experience Builder content in ArcGIS Enterprise

Error Message

When attempting to access the ArcGIS Experience Builder content, the following error message is encountered in the user interface:

Error:
Sorry, you do not have permissions to access this application

Upon further inspection of the network request using browser Developer Tools (DevTools) or the REST API response, the following GWM_0003 error is returned:

{
error: {
code: 403,
messageCode: "GWM_0003",
message: "You do not have permissions to access this resource or perform this operation.",
details: [ ]
}
}

Cause

When the process of saving the ArcGIS Experience Builder application is interrupted, the XML/PBF configuration files in the Portal server directory are incompletely saved. This triggers two main issues:

• Extra Characters in the XML: Random characters or broken syntax appear in the closing tags of the iteminfo.xml file on the server.
• Corrupt Binary Cache (.pbf): The binary cache file (iteminfo.pbf) becomes corrupted, which prevents the Portal from successfully validating the schema and the user's access permissions.

Solution or Workaround

Option 1: Repair the Configuration File on the Portal Server

Prerequisite:
Requires Server Administrator access to the server machine where Portal for ArcGIS is installed.

1. Fix the iteminfo.xml file
   1. Log in to the server machine running Portal for ArcGIS.
   2. Open WinSCP and navigate to the item storage directory: C:\arcgisportal\content\items\<ItemID_Experience_Builder>\esriinfo\ (Replace <ItemID_Experience_Builder> with the ID of the corrupted app).
   3. Create a backup copy of the original iteminfo.xml file and save it in a different folder.
   4. Right-click the original iteminfo.xml file, then select Open with > Notepad / Notepad++.
   5. Scroll to the very bottom of the file where the XML closing tags are located.
   6. Inspect and clean any random characters or broken syntax.
      • Example A: If it says </ESRI_ItemInformation>n>, change it back to </ESRI_ItemInformation>.
      • Example B: If there is random text like abc123xy</url></ESRI_ItemInformation>, delete the random 'abc123xy' characters.
   7. Save the file modifications (Ctrl+S).
   8. Open a web browser, clear the cache, and attempt to open the Experience Builder application from the Portal UI again.
2. Re-create / Regenerate the iteminfo.pbf file (If Step 1 is unsuccessful).
   1. Remain in the same server directory folder: C:\arcgisportal\content\items\<ItemID_Experience_Builder>\esriinfo\.
   2. Locate the file named iteminfo.pbf.
   3. Right-click the file, select Rename, and change the name to iteminfo_old.pbf.
   4. Reopen the Experience Builder application from your browser.
   5. The Portal system will automatically trigger a reload and generate a new, clean iteminfo.pbf file.

Option 2: Configuration Data Recovery via ArcGIS REST API

Prerequisite:
Use this method if the team DOES NOT have access to the server machine/OS, but does possess a Portal Administrator or Item Owner account.

1. Download (Backup) the Old Application's Configuration Data.
   1. Open a browser (Google Chrome/Edge) in Incognito/Private Window mode.
   2. Access the Portal REST API URL: https://<domain_portal>/<webadaptor>/sharing/rest.
   3. Click Sign In in the top right corner and enter the Administrator/Owner credentials.
   4. Navigate through the menu hierarchy: Community > Users > Username Owner > User Content.
   5. Search for and click the Item ID of the problematic Experience Builder application.
   6. Scroll to the very bottom to the Supported Operations group, then click Data.
   7. The application's configuration text appears on the browser screen.
      • Press Ctrl + A (select all), then Ctrl + C (copy).
      • Open Notepad, paste the content (Ctrl + V), and save the file as backup_exb.json.
2. Create a New Container Application.
   1. Open a new browser tab and log in to the normal Portal for ArcGIS UI (https://<domain_portal>/<webadaptor>/home).
   2. Open the App Launcher (the nine-dot icon) and select Experience Builder.
   3. Create a new application using the Blank template.
   4. Assign it a temporary name (e.g., "[Recovery] Experience Builder App"), and click Save.
   5. Copy and save the New Item ID displayed in the URL of this new application.
3. Inject / Overwrite the Data into the New Application.
1. Return to the ArcGIS REST API browser tab (https://<domain_portal>/<webadaptor>/sharing/rest).
2. Navigate back to Community > Users > Username Owner > User Content.
3. Search for and click the New Item ID (the container item created in Step 2).
4. Scroll to the very bottom to the Supported Operations group, and click Update Item.
5. On the Update Item form page, find the input field named Text (or Item Data). Open your backup_exb.json file in Notepad, copy all of its contents, and paste them into this Text field.
6. Scroll to the bottom of the form and click the Update Item button.
7. Reopen the new application in the normal Portal UI. All widgets and layers from the old application will have been successfully transferred and are ready to be accessed again.