Title: Error message "Parse error"
Last modified: August 20, 2016

---

# Error message "Parse error"

 *  [John Lyman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jlyman/)
 * (@jlyman)
 * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/)
 * After I inserted a code into the function.php file my [site](http://www.internationalpolicydigest.org/)
   will not open. The following code is the error message.
 * Parse error: syntax error, unexpected ‘<‘ in /home/content/54/7433054/html/wp-
   content/themes/thejournal/functions.php on line 28
 * I have the function.php file open but I can’t edit posts or click off the site
   or I won’t be able to access the function.php file again.
 * Any help fixing this would be great. The original code that created this issue
   was supplied by WordPress to tweak the WooDojo tabbed widget.

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 17 total)

1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/page/2/?output_format=md)
[→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/page/2/?output_format=md)

 *  [genusone](https://wordpress.org/support/users/genusone/)
 * (@genusone)
 * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/#post-2686901)
 * It’s because there is a “<” in the code that shouldn’t be there, maybe you pasted
   <?php by accident.
 * If you have edited the code in WP, you are not going to be able to make the change
   in there. You will have to overwrite the file using an FTP client.
 * I can’t really tell you the issue if I can’t see the code
 *  Thread Starter [John Lyman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jlyman/)
 * (@jlyman)
 * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/#post-2686902)
 * Below is the code as it currently stands in the function.php file:
 * /*———————————————————————————–*/
    /* Start WooThemes Functions – Please refrain
   from editing this section */ /*———————————————————————————–*/
 * // Set path to WooFramework and theme specific functions
    $functions_path = TEMPLATEPATH.‘/
   functions/’; $includes_path = TEMPLATEPATH . ‘/includes/’;
 * // WooFramework
    require_once ($functions_path . ‘admin-init.php’); // Framework
   Init
 * // Theme specific functionality
    require_once ($includes_path . ‘theme-options.
   php’); // Options panel settings and custom settings require_once ($includes_path.‘
   theme-functions.php’); // Custom theme functions //require_once ($includes_path.‘
   theme-plugins.php’); // Theme specific plugins integrated in a theme //require_once(
   $includes_path . ‘theme-actions.php’); // Theme actions & user defined hooks 
   require_once ($includes_path . ‘theme-comments.php’); // Custom comments/pingback
   loop require_once ($includes_path . ‘theme-js.php’); // Load javascript in wp_head
   require_once ($includes_path . ‘sidebar-init.php’); // Initialize widgetized 
   areas require_once ($includes_path . ‘theme-widgets.php’); // Theme widgets
 * /*———————————————————————————–*/
    /* End WooThemes Functions – You can add custom
   functions below */ /*———————————————————————————–*/
 * <?php?>
 *  Thread Starter [John Lyman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jlyman/)
 * (@jlyman)
 * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/#post-2686903)
 * Any help sorting this out would be immensely appreciated. I thought at this point
   I would be able to add the code without any issues but I will have to resort 
   to paying a WP expert to tweak certain files on my site.
 * The code above is the whole code as it appears in the function.php file.
 *  [genusone](https://wordpress.org/support/users/genusone/)
 * (@genusone)
 * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/#post-2686904)
 * If that is exactly how your functions.php file looks, then the problem is at 
   the bottom. The file should look like this…
 * <?php
 * *** CODE ETC HERE ***
 * ?>
 * And from what I see your file looks like this…
 * *** CODE HERE ***
 * <?php?>
 * I hope this helps
 *  Thread Starter [John Lyman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jlyman/)
 * (@jlyman)
 * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/#post-2686906)
 * So I should add <?php at the top?
 *  Thread Starter [John Lyman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jlyman/)
 * (@jlyman)
 * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/#post-2686908)
 * So this would be the correct entire code?:
 * <?php
    /*———————————————————————————–*/ /* Start WooThemes Functions – Please
   refrain from editing this section */ /*———————————————————————————–*/
 * // Set path to WooFramework and theme specific functions
    $functions_path = TEMPLATEPATH.‘/
   functions/’; $includes_path = TEMPLATEPATH . ‘/includes/’;
 * // WooFramework
    require_once ($functions_path . ‘admin-init.php’); // Framework
   Init
 * // Theme specific functionality
    require_once ($includes_path . ‘theme-options.
   php’); // Options panel settings and custom settings require_once ($includes_path.‘
   theme-functions.php’); // Custom theme functions //require_once ($includes_path.‘
   theme-plugins.php’); // Theme specific plugins integrated in a theme //require_once(
   $includes_path . ‘theme-actions.php’); // Theme actions & user defined hooks 
   require_once ($includes_path . ‘theme-comments.php’); // Custom comments/pingback
   loop require_once ($includes_path . ‘theme-js.php’); // Load javascript in wp_head
   require_once ($includes_path . ‘sidebar-init.php’); // Initialize widgetized 
   areas require_once ($includes_path . ‘theme-widgets.php’); // Theme widgets
 * /*———————————————————————————–*/
    /* End WooThemes Functions – You can add custom
   functions below */ /*———————————————————————————–*/
 * ?>
 *  [genusone](https://wordpress.org/support/users/genusone/)
 * (@genusone)
 * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/#post-2686909)
 * Yep, that’s right!
 *  Thread Starter [John Lyman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jlyman/)
 * (@jlyman)
 * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/#post-2686910)
 * Still getting the error message. This sucks. I have to overwrite the file using
   an FTP client?
 *  [genusone](https://wordpress.org/support/users/genusone/)
 * (@genusone)
 * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/#post-2686912)
 * Yes, because of the error the WP interface will not work. So you have to use 
   FileZilla or something to overwrite the file.
 *  Thread Starter [John Lyman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jlyman/)
 * (@jlyman)
 * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/#post-2686913)
 * Are there directions online? I really have no clue about how to do this. I really
   appreciate the help. This experience is maddening.
 *  [genusone](https://wordpress.org/support/users/genusone/)
 * (@genusone)
 * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/#post-2686915)
 * 1. Download FileZilla
    2. Connect to your server using FTP login details provided
   by your host. 3. Go to your theme’s folder i.e. /wp-content/themes/YOUR THEME
   4. Then download your functions.php file and open with notepad 5. Make the change
   to the file as above 6. Replace the file with your correct copy
 * That should do it
 *  Thread Starter [John Lyman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jlyman/)
 * (@jlyman)
 * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/#post-2686918)
 * Sorry for my mundane question but can I contact you through email about paying
   you to do this if I provide the login info? I don’t quite trust myself to do 
   this.
 *  [genusone](https://wordpress.org/support/users/genusone/)
 * (@genusone)
 * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/#post-2686919)
 * No problem. Go to my website [Here](http://thewebtaylor.co.uk) and you will see
   an email address at the top next to the logo.
 *  Thread Starter [John Lyman](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jlyman/)
 * (@jlyman)
 * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/#post-2686920)
 * Actually I called GoDaddy and you wouldn’t be able to do anything with it because
   I don’t know my FTP password.
 *  [genusone](https://wordpress.org/support/users/genusone/)
 * (@genusone)
 * [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/#post-2686922)
 * Oh no! Can they not reset it for you?

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 17 total)

1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/page/2/?output_format=md)
[→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/page/2/?output_format=md)

The topic ‘Error message "Parse error"’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [error message](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/error-message/)
 * [function.php](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/function-php/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 17 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [keesiemeijer](https://wordpress.org/support/users/keesiemeijer/)
 * Last activity: [13 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/error-message-parse-error-1/page/2/#post-2686933)
 * Status: not resolved

## Topics

### Topics with no replies

### Non-support topics

### Resolved topics

### Unresolved topics

### All topics