The fastest way to see all journal entries in QuickBooks Online is to run the built-in Journal report, which pulls every journal entry into a single list you can filter by date, account, or other criteria. You can also find individual entries through the search bar or the audit log if you need to track changes. Here’s how each method works.
Run the Journal Report
The Journal report is the most complete way to view every journal entry on your books. It shows all debits and credits, the accounts involved, memo fields, and the dates for each entry. To pull it up:
- Click Reports in the left-hand navigation menu.
- Type “Journal” into the search bar at the top of the Reports page.
- Select the Journal report from the results.
QuickBooks will generate the report using a default date range, usually the current month or fiscal year. To see entries from a different period, change the date fields at the top of the report and click Run Report. If you want to see every journal entry you’ve ever made, set the start date to the earliest date you began using QuickBooks Online and the end date to today.
Filter for Journal Entries Only
The default Journal report may include other transaction types depending on your settings. To isolate only journal entries, use the Customize button:
- With the Journal report open, click Customize.
- Set the Report period to the date range you need.
- Open the Filter dropdown section.
- Check Transaction Type and select Journal Entry from the list.
- Click Run Report.
This strips out anything that isn’t a manual journal entry, giving you a clean list. You can then sort by date, amount, or account to find what you’re looking for. If you run this report frequently, click Save customization so it appears in your custom reports list and you don’t have to rebuild the filters each time.
Search for a Specific Journal Entry
If you already know a detail about the entry you’re looking for, such as an amount, a reference number, or a word from the memo field, the search tool is quicker than running a full report. Click the magnifying glass icon in the upper-right area of QuickBooks Online and type your search term. QuickBooks will return matching transactions, and you can click any result to open the original journal entry and review or edit it.
This approach works best when you’re hunting for one or two specific entries rather than reviewing a full list.
Export the Report to Excel or PDF
Once you’ve generated a filtered Journal report, you can export it for review outside QuickBooks. Click the export icon (usually near the top-right of the report) and choose either Excel or PDF. An Excel export is especially useful if you want to sort, subtotal, or annotate entries in a spreadsheet. This is also a good way to share journal entries with an accountant or bookkeeper who doesn’t have direct access to your QuickBooks account.
Use the Audit Log to Track Changes
The Journal report shows you what’s currently on the books, but it won’t reveal entries that were deleted or modified. If you suspect a journal entry was changed or removed, the audit log captures that history:
- Click the Settings gear icon in the upper-right corner.
- Select Audit log.
- Click Filter, then use the User, Date, or Events fields to narrow results. You can filter by a specific user if you want to see who made changes, or by date range to focus on a particular period.
- Click Apply.
The audit log displays 150 records at a time. When you find the entry you’re looking for, click View in the History column to see exactly what was added, edited, or deleted and when it happened. QuickBooks Online keeps audit log records for two years, so you can look back at changes made within that window but not beyond it.
Check a Specific Account’s Register
If you want to see journal entries that affected a particular account, you can go through the Chart of Accounts instead. Click Chart of Accounts (under Accounting in the left menu), then click View Register next to the account you’re interested in. The register shows every transaction posted to that account. Look for entries labeled “Journal Entry” in the transaction type column. This method won’t show you all journal entries across your entire company, but it’s helpful when you’re trying to understand why a specific account balance looks off.