[GNC] How to find ALL Transactions in ALL Accounts for a Single Specific Date?

[Sherlock]

Hi David,

The behavior is documented in the GnuCash Manual: 
https://www.gnucash.org/docs/v5//C/gnucash-manual/tool-find.html#tool-find-txn

Regards,

Sherlock


On 1/12/26 11:07 PM, David T. via gnucash-user wrote:
> Huh. I never knew that the search function in a register was limited to 
> transactions in the current view filter, but a couple quick tests 
> confirm that.
> 
> That's not what I would have expected. I would expect that if I 
> performed a search of an account, the search would include everything in 
> that account, and not just transactions that were visible at the time of 
> the search. I mean, the point of search is to *find* things. What 
> purpose would be served by *not* including other transactions?
> 
> Further, how does search function when: a) the user starts a search in 
> the Accounts pane, and b) the user has saved a particular view filter 
> for a given account? Are the results limited by that account's saved 
> filter? If not, then why not, given the limits within an account window?
> 
> Finally, this doesn't match up with search behavior with regard to 
> hidden or placeholder accounts; a general search from the Accounts pane 
> will return transactions in these accounts (indeed, it is possible to 
> modify read only transactions without warning from a search results 
> window). Why would search function on one set of hidden transactions, 
> but not another?
> 
> Ultimately, my questions are:
> 
> * Is this an intentional behavior?
> * Is there a reason for this behavior?
> * Is this behavior actually documented for users?
> * And is this behavior what an average user would (or should) expect?
> 
> David T.
> 
> On 1/13/2026 7:28 AM, Derek Atkins wrote:
>> No, the General Journal will show imported transactions.
>> However, the GJ starts with a time limit -- it only shows transactions in
>> the last 30 days (by default).  You can, of course, change that via the
>> View menu.
>> So if your imported transactions were prior to the start date of the GJ,
>> they wouldn't show up in your search.
>>
>> -derek
>>
>> On Mon, January 12, 2026 8:39 pm, Tom Route36 wrote:
>>> Patrick (and Kirk),
>>>
>>> I think I solved the mystery about why I wasn't able to get Find working
>>> in the General Journal.  It turns out that Find actually IS working
>>> okay.  The problem is that the transactions that I was looking for were
>>> never in the General Journal in the first place.
>>>
>>> As I mentioned earlier I'm still a newbie with GnuCash.  And I've only
>>> started ENTERING transactions into GnuCash within the last couple
>>> months.  All my transactions prior to that were all IMPORTED into
>>> GnuCash from Quicken via a QIF file.  And apparently, those imported
>>> transactions never got recorded in the General Journal.  At least, that
>>> appears to be the case for me here.
>>>
>>> Maybe someone else can confirm if that's how transactions are supposed
>>> to work with the General Journal.  That is, you have to actually ENTER
>>> those transactions, and not simply IMPORT them. Assuming that's correct,
>>> that's not a big deal for me.  It's just something I have to be aware of
>>> going forward.  That is, don't look in the General Journal for imported
>>> transactions.
>>>
>>> Tom
>>>
>>>
>>> On 1/12/2026 2:45 PM, Patrick James via gnucash-user wrote:
>>>> "probably because I don't really enter things via the General Journal."
>>>>
>>>> Back in the good 'ole days, all entries began in the General Journal,
>>>> and then were posted to the various accounts. With the advent of modern
>>>> information systems, that process is no longer necessary. In GnuCash,
>>>> when you enter to a given account, the General Journal entry is created
>>>> for you, and while the order does not really matter, and there are 
>>>> other
>>>> information systems issues here, one may consider the General Journal
>>>> entry to be created first, before the account entry. Again with today's
>>>> information systems, this is not really that important, but the General
>>>> Journal includes all the journal entries.
>>>>
>>>> In summary, it's reasonable to suggest that GnuCash "really does enter
>>>> things via the General Journal."
>>>>
>>>> If an entry is not present, check the filters.
>>>>
>>>>> On 01/12/2026 1:18 PM PST kirk abbott via
>>>>> gnucash-user<gnucash-user at gnucash.org> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> General Journal doesn't really work for me either. Mainly because only
>>>>> random things seem to show up there. probably because I don't really
>>>>> enter things via the General Journal. What is working for me is the
>>>>> Accounts Tab. Don't know if it mattered, but I had the Assets line
>>>>> highlighted while testing. Regardless, it found everything within a
>>>>> couple of days of the target date regardless of Asset account.
>>>>> Kirk
>>>>>       On Monday, January 12, 2026 at 12:02:13 PM PST, Patrick James 
>>>>> via
>>>>> gnucash-user<gnucash-user at gnucash.org> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>    Tom,
>>>>>