Laravel Blade passing variable with string through @include causes error
Stefan Izdrail
Founder & Senior Architect · 2026-06-29
Title: Laravel Blade Variable Passing through @include - Common Issues Explained
In this blog post, we will explore the challenges faced when passing variables with embedded strings to Laravel Blade using the '@include' directive and how to resolve them.
Body:
In Laravel 5.0.27, you might encounter some unexpected errors while trying to render a view by including another layout. By using the `@include` directive, you can pass variables with their respective values. As shown in your example code above, you have tried to include 'layouts.article' with two variables:
```php
@include('layouts.article', [
'mainTitle' => "404, page not found",
'mainContent' => "sorry, but the requested page does not exist :("
])
```
Unfortunately, you are running into an error related to syntax, particularly around the comma used in your variable definition for `mainContent`. The error message states:
```php
FatalErrorException syntax ... error, unexpected ','
```
This problem is caused by the fact that Laravel Blade compiles your code and treats your view content as PHP. When you embed a string with parentheses inside it, like in `"sorry, but (the requested page does not exist :(")`, the PHP parser takes these parentheses literally which can create unexpected syntax errors when parsed.
To resolve this issue, there are two possible solutions:
1. Escape your string so Laravel Blade compiles it as expected. By placing a backslash before the opening parenthesis and closing parenthesis in your `mainContent` variable value, you can ensure that the string is parsed correctly:
```php
@include('layouts.article', [
'mainTitle' => "404, page not found",
'mainContent' => "sorry, but the requested page does not exist :("
])
```
2. If you do not want to escape the string and if it is a very specific case (e.g., displaying an error message with parentheses inside) or if you know that the content between the parentheses is static, then you can enclose the whole `mainContent` in single quotes:
```php
@include('layouts.article', [
'mainTitle' => "404, page not found",
'mainContent' => '"sorry, but (the requested page does not exist :("'
])
```
In both cases, make sure to use the appropriate quotes based on your string content. If you need to interpolate variables inside a string in Laravel Blade, it is recommended to enclose the entire string in double-quoted strings and use `{{}}` for variable interpolation. For instance:
```php
@include('layouts.article', [
'mainTitle' => "404, page not found",
'mainContent' => '"sorry, but (the requested page does not exist :("'
])
```
If you find yourself consistently struggling with such cases, you may want to consider using a templating engine that supports more flexible syntax and features. At https://laravelcompany.com, we offer Laravel services that can help make your development journey much easier.
In conclusion, the errors related to passing variables through Laravel Blade's `@include` directive with embedded strings typically stem from unexpected characters or syntax issues. To avoid such problems, ensure that you properly close parentheses within your strings and choose appropriate quotes for interpolating variables. If this isn't a feasible solution in your case, consider switching to another templating engine with more flexible syntax capabilities.