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Faq Why i receive a 'parse error' when clicking on Analyzer, Metainfo and SEO Spider?
Why i receive a 'parse error' when clicking on Analyzer, Metainfo and SEO Spider?

This kind of error happens when the Joomla JSON output is broken or can't work. Commonly this is due to following reasons:

  • Bugged plugins installed
  • Usage of mixed domains
  • Website set as offline
  • Htaccess customizations and redirects
  • Altered Joomla core files

admin tools

A common issue occurs when a bugged plugin is published that adds extra contents to all Joomla output also to JSON documents, that should be kept clean.

This is a list of Well known bugged plugins:
'System - Custom Canonical CK'
'System - Main Page'
'System - Google Analytics'
'System - System - YOOtheme Framework'
'System - True typography'
'System - BT Shortcode'
'System - TM Lazy Load'
'System - JSLazyLoading'
'System - JForms'
'System - Responsive Scroll Triggered Box'
'System - Main Page'
'System - Ba Forms'
'System - Ba Gallery'
'System - AutoAnchor Menu support'
'System - Main Page'
'System - Aikon Super Preloader'
'System - JSJobs Register'
'System - EasyScript'
'System - AutoAnchor Menu support'
'System - vmVendor'
'System - Jubenta cookie solution'
'System - Notification Message Bar'
'System - Add FullAjax'
'System - iWt CookieAlarm'
'System - OpenPotion Head and Body'
'System - BT Product Quick View'
'System - Direct Alias Pro'
'System - Ecwid'
'System - Route66'
'System - AxisMeta Renderer'
'System - Social Meta Tags'
'System - JotMarker'
'System - Phocaopengraph'
'System - ResponsiveEUCookie'
'System - Regular Labs - Email Protector'(fixed in 4.0.7)
'System - Regular Labs - Sourcerer'(fixed in 7.0.1)
'System - Promo Notice Message With Timer'
'System - Iubenda Cookie Solution'
'System - JMS FB Instant Articles K2'
'System - Google Tag Manager'
'System- Admin Branding Reloaded v1.8'
'System - Joomla Web Push Notifications'
'System - JS Support Ticket icon'
'System - Push Notification'
'System - Simple Cookie Consent'


Also ensure that you are not using mixed domains for the Joomla! frontend and backend. For example if your site works with both www and non-www domain or http and https domain, ensure that the backend domain is exactly the same as the frontend one. Otherwise each javascript application running in the backend will be blocked by the browser itself because of cross domain policy returning a red bar 'Error' message. Take care if in the Joomla configuration.php you have hardcoded the domain in the $live_site variable, that variable must be left empty as by default.


If you have a custom htaccess ensure that there are not special redirects or rewrite rule in place that could deny or redirect scripts URLs. In this case it's recommended to try to restore the Joomla! original htaccess and check if the problem has been fixed.


Take care that the error reporting in the Joomla! global configuration is set to 'None'. In this way if you have PHP warnings or errors thrown by some plugins and going in the Joomla! JSON output thus breaking it, you will be able to solve the issue.


Another reason why you could get a generic 'Error' is because your website is set as 'Offline'. If you set your website as 'Offline' in the Joomla! global configuration, JSitemap tools can't work in the frontend side. You can either put the site online or login to the Joomla! frontend before using JSitemap tools.


Take care that if your Joomla website has been hacked after that the recent Joomla vulnerabily has been discovered, some core files could have been altered. In such case it's not uncommon that JSON and XML formats won't work anymore. To fix all issues it's enough to recover Joomla original files.