Title: Feedburner Validation Problem
Last modified: August 18, 2016

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# Feedburner Validation Problem

 *  Resolved [ModiVivendi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/modivivendi/)
 * (@modivivendi)
 * [18 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/feedburner-validation-problem/)
 * After setting up a new WP site did I want to burn the feed at feedburner only
   to find out it did not validate. As the new site basically is set up like my 
   old one did I test that feed as well. It didn’t validate either.
 * This is the error on validating:
 * >  Sorry
   > This feed does not validate.
   >  *
   > line 1, column 1: Blank line before XML declaration [help]
   >  ^
   > Source: [http://www.circularcommunication.com/?feed=rss2](http://www.circularcommunication.com/?feed=rss2)
 * So, I checked the help page at feedburner, which states:
 * >  Message
   > Blank line before XML declaration (WordPress)
   >  Explanation
   > If an XML declaration (<?xml … ?>) appears in your feed, it must be the first
   > thing in the feed, before any whitespace.
   > Unfortunately, with WordPress it seems all too easy for a plugin, a theme, 
   > or for your configuration file to contain a blank line. Further compounding
   > this problem, some — but not all — feed readers compensate for this common 
   > error, allowing the error to go undetected for quite a while.
   >  Solution
   >  * Check your wp-rss2.php and wp-atom.php files for blank lines outside of 
   > <? and ?> bracketed sections.
   >  * Check your wp-config.php file for blank lines
   > outside of <? and ?> bracketed sections. * Check your theme’s functions.php
   > file for blank lines outside of <? and ?> bracketed sections. * One by one,
   > disable plugins and revalidate until you isolate the one causing the problem.
   > Not clear? Disagree?
 * I checked every file mentioned and then some. Instead of checking each plugin
   did I simply turn them all off. I have more than 30 in use and did not want to
   go through turning each of them off if I only were to find that they weren’t 
   the problem either. Which they apparently weren’t as the problem also was present
   after turning them all off.
 * They question is what can now do? As a small test did I make a clean 2.2.1 install
   on another domain and check the feed and that validates fine. Can the plugins
   be the problem although it is also present when I turn them off?
 * I am really desperate as I need the new site up and running by Wednesday and 
   this damn problem have stolen most of my Sunday already.
 * All suggestions are welcome. The more constructive the better…

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

 *  Thread Starter [ModiVivendi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/modivivendi/)
 * (@modivivendi)
 * [18 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/feedburner-validation-problem/#post-600868)
 * Thankfully I was able to sort things out myself. It was the dreaded functions.
   php file of the theme after all.
 *  [mingofaust](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mingofaust/)
 * (@mingofaust)
 * [18 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/feedburner-validation-problem/#post-600980)
 * I had the same exact problem, but in my case it was a plugin, Genki Announcement
   1.3. The plugin author has been alerted.

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

The topic ‘Feedburner Validation Problem’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 2 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [mingofaust](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mingofaust/)
 * Last activity: [18 years, 8 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/feedburner-validation-problem/#post-600980)
 * Status: resolved

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