How to Find Any Transaction in QBO (Fast!)
Have you ever entered a transaction in QuickBooks Online (QBO), only to have it disappear and then not be sure how to find it?
The good news is that there are actually numerous ways to find transactions that you have entered in QBO. You just need to know where to look.
How are Transactions Categorized in QBO?
When you enter a transaction in QBO, there are only two final destinations for it - the balance sheet or profit and loss report. Additionally, depending on the type of transaction it will often go to a “subledger”. For example, if you enter a sale or invoice, you will find it in the sales section either under the customer or in the list of invoices.
Similarly, if you an enter an expense, you can find it in the expenses section, under the supplier (assuming you entered the name of the supplier) or if came from your bank or credit card account, you can find it in the categorized section of the banking download.
Journal entries can be found by going to reports and searching for “journal”. Once you have accessed the report, you would click on the filters ,select transaction type and then equals journal entry.
There are times, however, when you want to:
Find a transaction quickly
Review a transaction that you just entered
Identify transactions dated in the past but entered recently
Top methods to help you quickly find any transaction in QBO:
How to find any transaction in QBO using the magnifying glass tool or audit log
1. Use the Magnifying Glass (Recent Transactions)
The fastest way to locate a transaction you just entered is by clicking the magnifying glass icon in the top-right corner. This will show a dropdown of your most recent transactions.
Click on any item in the list to view or edit the transaction immediately.
2. Search Using Filters
Click on the Search icon, then go to "Advanced Search" (or use the filters) to enter criteria such as:
Transaction type (e.g., invoice, expense, bill)
Date range
Amount
Reference number
This method is especially helpful if you only remember partial details.
⚠️ Note: Searching by amount doesn’t always work perfectly—QBO may not match if there's a minor discrepancy.
3. Use the Audit Log
If you want to find transactions that you, for example, entered today but relate to a previous period, you can use Audit Log .
Go to: Reports > Search for “Audit Log”
The audit log provides a detailed record of every transaction added, changed, or deleted, including:
Who made the change (if you have multiple users)
The type of event (edit, delete, etc.)
When it happened
You can also filter by user, date range, or event type.
Click “View” next to any transaction for a complete history, including how many times it’s been changed.
4. Look Through Sales or Expenses Sections
Another simple option, as mentioned above is to navigate to your Sales or Expenses tabs, then use filters to narrow down your search by customer, vendor, date, or status. Alternatively, you can go to the banking download and filter your categorized transactions.
5. Run Reports
Finally, if you know the account or category used, pull up a Profit and Loss Report or Balance Sheet to see if the transaction appears there.
Since every transaction entered in QBO affects at least one of these reports, this can be a reliable tool for locating missing entries.
QuickBooks Online offers multiple ways to search and locate transactions. Since finding a lost transaction can be frustrating, it can be helpful to be able to do it quickly.
Need help with QuickBooks?
Get Your Free QBO Setup Checklist
Download this handy checklist to streamline your filing process, avoid common errors, and save time.QuickBooks Online Guide
Check out my book, QuickStart Your QuickBooks, a step-by-step guide designed for Canadian solopreneurs and small businesses. Check out my step-by-step guide to help you set up and understand QBO without feeling overwhelmed.
Need Personalized Guidance?
Book a consultation to get tailored support specific to your business and QuickBooks challenges.
