Expected 'then' when parsing if statement, got 'X'

What the message means

ServerScriptService.Shop:4: Expected 'then' when parsing if statement, got 'print'

Other forms of the same message:

• Expected 'then' when parsing if statement, got '='
• Expected 'then' when parsing if statement, got 'do'
• Expected 'then' when parsing if statement, got '{'

This is a syntax error: the whole script does not run, not only that line. Studio underlines the spot in red in the Script Editor, and the line number in Output is the line where Luau found the wrong word, which is often the line after the if when then is missing at the end of a line.

Loops use do and if statements use then. Mixing them up gives this error for an if, and Expected 'do' when parsing while loop for a loop.

Causes and fixes

Three things cause this error in practice. Each one below has the smallest code that triggers it, then the fix.

• then is missing at the end of the if line
• A single = used to compare
• do written instead of then

then is missing at the end of the if line

Forgetting then is the most common cause, especially on an elseif. Luau keeps reading the condition onto the next line, and reports the first word there.

local coins = 120

if coins >= 100
	print("You can buy the sword")
end

Add then after the condition, on every if and every elseif. else takes no then.

local coins = 120

if coins >= 100 then
	print("You can buy the sword")
elseif coins >= 50 then
	print("You can buy the shield")
else
	print("Keep collecting coins")
end

A single = used to compare

= stores a value and == compares two values. Inside an if, Luau finishes the condition at x and then finds = where then should be.

local level = 5

if level = 5 then
	print("Max level")
end

Use == to test if two things are equal, and ~= to test if they are different.

local level = 5

if level == 5 then
	print("Max level")
elseif level ~= 1 then
	print("Keep going")
end

Studio may show a second message on the same line, Expected identifier when parsing expression. Fix the first one and the second goes away.

do written instead of then

Code moved out of a while or for loop, or written from habit in another language, can end the if line with do or a curly bracket.

local health = 20

if health < 25 do
	print("Low health!")
end

Replace do (or {) with then, and close the block with end, not }.

local health = 20

if health < 25 then
	print("Low health!")
end

How to find the line that causes it

1. A syntax error stops the whole script before its first line runs, so nothing in that script works, not just the broken line.
2. Open the script. The Script Editor underlines the problem in red; hover over the underline to read the message.
3. Open Script Analysis (View tab) to see every syntax error in every script, with its line number. Double-click one to jump to it.
4. The line number in the message is where Luau gave up, which is often below the real mistake. The (to close ... at line N) part points at the line where the unclosed bracket or block starts.

Questions

Sources and further reading

• Luau: syntax
• Roblox Creator Docs: control structures. if, elseif, else and then
• Roblox Creator Docs: operators. relational operators == and ~=

How the code was checked: every block marked Fixed passes Luau's strict type checker against Roblox's API definitions (luau-lsp, 5 November 2026), and every block marked Breaks compiles only to fail with the message on this page. The message wording was checked by compiling each broken block on this page with luau-compile, which uses the same Luau parser as Roblox Studio, on 5 November 2026. A type check catches misspelt APIs and wrong types, not game logic, so playtest in Studio before you publish.