Help with restoring site

[Bettina]

[I just posted this but it wouldn't show, if this is now a duplicate please ignore, sorry, still not seeing the initial post]

Ok so I made a change in the functions.php as per a github (this one, the first one) on this site  and now it's broken 🙁

Server error
The website encountered an error while retrieving http://brooksideadmin.co.za/wp/wp-admin/theme-editor.php?file=functions.php&theme=balance&scrollto=1620&updated=true. It may be down for maintenance or configured incorrectly.

Here are some suggestions:

Reload this webpage later.

HTTP Error 500 (Internal Server Error): An unexpected condition was encountered while the server was attempting to fulfill the request.

Help!

I have ftp access, tried to find it in the functions.php but don't. Well not true, did find a functions.php but it doesn't contain that code bit that I added (how's that possible?). Tried to find that file in that error message but wouldn't know what to do with it.

Tried restore backup from managewp but that won't work either. I'm unfortunately not experienced enough to go further on my own. Please anyone who can guide me through getting this back properly again?

I'm sure I could just go in an change some or other file via ftp but I don't know which. Sigh. I'm off to bed now (late night here...) so if I don't reply immediately that's why. Please, please someone help me.

[Bettina]

Ok so I made a change in the functions.php as per a github (this one, the first one) on this site  and now it's broken 🙁

Server error
The website encountered an error while retrieving http://brooksideadmin.co.za/wp/wp-admin/theme-editor.php?file=functions.php&theme=balance&scrollto=1620&updated=true. It may be down for maintenance or configured incorrectly.

Here are some suggestions:

Reload this webpage later.

HTTP Error 500 (Internal Server Error): An unexpected condition was encountered while the server was attempting to fulfill the request.

Help!

I have ftp access, tried to find it in the functions.php but don't. Well not true, did find a functions.php but it doesn't contain that code bit that I added (how's that possible?). Tried to find that file in that error message but wouldn't know what to do with it.

Tried restore backup from managewp but that won't work either. I'm unfortunately not experienced enough to go further on my own. Please anyone who can guide me through getting this back properly again?

I'm sure I could just go in an change some or other file via ftp but I don't know which. Sigh. I'm off to bed now (late night here...) so if I don't reply immediately that's why. Please, please someone help me.

[Bill Murray]

First, any PHP error, even a small typo, can break your site. Typos can happen to the best of us. Before attempting any modification, have a known-working backup of your functions.php. This is in your child theme folder, NOT the Genesis folder. I always recommend that if you make a modification, you add a comment before it that you always use (such as your initials), the date, and what you were trying to accomplish. To find the modification, just use your initials (and if your initials are a sequence found in the code, pick something else).

To get back to where you were, you can a) rename your broken functions.php to functions.txt (this will preserve any mods that you made) and then b) copy the functions.php from your original download.

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Web: https://wpperform.com or Twitter: @wpperform

We do managed WordPress hosting.

[Bettina]

Hi Bill,

thank you SO much! Problem solved.

I do always add comments before I do anything so that's not the problem. But I now realise I looked in the wrong functions.php .... anyway, found it, changed it and done.

Now I just need that exclude going again though. Will see if I can get help from that author. It was recommended by Nick himself so surely this should work.

Thanks again, really appreciate it.

[Author]

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