This is a new area for me.

I've created custom JSON error outputs to alert users if they enter a name and/or an email which already exists. I'm trying to spit out the errors and then if no error exists, continue.
Unfortunately I'm getting the following message in Firefox console: "Uncaught SyntaxError: JSON.parse: unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON data at line 2 column 1 of the JSON data." It's weird as I have 3 JSON error variations set up which are working (1 name, 2 email,3 name & email) but only when none of those conditions are met does it fail.

I slimmed down the code as much as possible below. It has been tested multiple times, everything else is working except for the above issue.

**THE HTML FORM**

```
<form method='post' id='part03'>
  <input type='text' id='name' placeholder='Enter your name'>
  <input type='email' id='email' placeholder='Enter your email'>
  <input type='button' id='submit'>
</form>

```

**PHP**

```
<?php
header('Content-type: application/json');

// Get name & check if exists
$name = mysqli_real_escape_string($con_usr_pub, $_POST['name']);
$check_name = mysqli_query($con, "select name from table where name='$name'");
if (mysqli_num_rows($check_name) > 0)
{
    $name_error = true;
}
else
{
    $name_error = false;
}

// Get email & check if exists
$email = mysqli_real_escape_string($con_usr_pub, $_POST['email']);
$check_email = mysqli_query($con, "select email from table where email='$email'");
if (mysqli_num_rows($check_name) > 0)
{
    $name_error = true;
}
else
{
    $name_error = false;
}

// JSON name error
if ($name_error == true && $email_error == false)
{
    $response = "Sorry, the name you entered is already in use.";
}
// JSON email error
if ($name_error == false && $email_error == true)
{
    $response = "Sorry, the email you entered is already in use.</p>";
}
// JSON name & email error
if ($name_error == true && $email_error == true)
{
    $response = "Sorry, both the name and email you entered are already in use.";
}
// JSON no error
if ($name_error == false && $email_error == false)
{
    $response = "continue";
}

echo json_encode($response);
?>

```

**JS**

```
// AJAX - Name & Email
$(document).on('click', '#submit', function() {
  var name = $("#name").val();
  var email = $("#email").val();
  $.ajax({
    url: "myserverfile.php",
    method: "POST",
    data: {
      name: name,
      email: email
    },
    dataType: "text",
    success: function(response) {
      var json = $.parseJSON(response);
      if (json === "continue") {
        alert("YES");
      } else {
        alert(json);
      }
    }
  });
});

```

Used:
jQuery 3.4.1
PHP 7.4