Bad Request on Certain Websites?


I’m currently a student and so I access a lot of academic journal article websites (e.g., JSTOR, Science Direct, Proquest, etc.) and in the past year or so, I’ve been getting an error code that looks like this:

Did the issue present with default Shields settings? Yes

Does the site function as expected when Shields are turned off? No

Does the site work as expected when using Chrome? Yes

Brave version (check About Brave): v.1.51.118

I’d appreciate any kind of insight or advice anyone can provide!

This errors on websites can be frustrating. I hope some fixes below can help you:

  1. Clear Browser Caches:
  • Open the Brave browser and access the menu (three horizontal lines or dots) at the top-right corner.
  • Select “Settings” and navigate to the “Privacy & security” section.
  • Click on “Clear browsing data” and navigate to ‘Advanced tab’ choose a time range to ‘All time’.
  • Select options “Cached images and files”.
  • Click on “Clear data” to remove the selected browsing data.
  • Restart Brave browser and check if the “Bad Request” issue is resolved on the specific websites.
  1. Disable Brave Shields:
  • Brave Shields, while offering enhanced privacy and security, may sometimes cause conflicts with certain websites. Try disabling Shields for the specific websites to see if it resolves the issue.
  • Visit the websites where you encounter the “Bad Request” issue.
  • Look for the Brave Shields icon in the address bar (it looks like a lion’s head).
  • Click on the Shields icon and select “Toggle Shields for this site” to disable Shields.
  • Refresh the pages and check if the issue is resolved.
  1. Disable Browser Extensions:
  • Browser extensions can sometimes interfere with website functionality. Temporarily disable all extensions to see if any of them are causing the issue.
  • Go to the menu (three horizontal lines or dots) in Brave browser and select “Settings.”
  • Choose “Extensions” from the sidebar.
  • Toggle off the switch next to each extension to disable them all.
  • Restart Brave browser and check if the “Bad Request” issue is resolved on the specific websites.
  1. Check Time and Date Settings:
  • Ensure that the time and date settings on your computer are accurate. Incorrect time and date settings can sometimes cause issues with websites.
  • Open your computer’s system settings or control panel.
  • Locate the time and date settings and verify that they are correct.
  • If the settings are incorrect, update them to the current date and time.
  • Restart the Brave browser and check if the “Bad Request” issue still occurs on the specific websites.

I hope these fixes and workarounds help you overcome the “Bad Request” issues. If you require further assistance or have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to official dedicated support team. I’m just a regural user who trying to helps others have a great experience with Brave. Their browser is very great! :slight_smile:

Best regards,
Swifty

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