report filter by memo or line description

Thank you for the very clear process. Just what I needed.

Have a good day

I appreciate the follow-up response, @newyorktutor.

We're glad to hear that the steps provided by my colleague above were able to help achieve your goal of creating a customized report with the Memo field. We love to see everyone helping each other in the Community.

If you have additional concerns running a report. Please don't hesitate to visit us again. Our team is available 24/7 to assist you. Keep safe, and wishing you a merry Christmas! 

For me, I only get the memo and never the description.  If there is no memo, the column is blank and there is always a description. I have Quickbooks Plus - online version.

- S

I have quickbooks Plus (online). For me, it only shows the memo, never the description.  If there is no memo, it shows nothing.  This is true if it's a split transaction or not.  Same on all reports, including exporting all of my data into a zip.

- S

Thanks for joining this thread, scotrob11. Let me assist you with troubleshooting steps to help you show your description in the report.

Since there's no description shown on your end, we can perform some troubleshooting steps to fix this. There are times when the browser is full of frequently accessed page resources, which causes some errors or unusual responses.

Here's how to access incognito mode in some of the most commonly used web browsers:

•  Google Chrome: Ctrl + Shift + N
• Mozilla Firefox: Ctrl + Shift + P
• Microsoft Edge: Ctrl + Shift + P
• Safari: Command + Option + P

Once logged in, try to run a report again. If things are working, then it's likely the browser that's causing the issue. It can be fixed by clearing your cache and cookies. You can also switch to a different supported browser.

Additionally, once you're all set, you can refer to these articles for future reference:

• Customize reports in QuickBooks Online 
• Reconcile an account in QuickBooks Online

Don't hesitate to post here in the Community if you have additional concerns about billable time in QBO. I'm always here to help.

Unfortunately that does not work. Tried incognito in Chrome and a new private browser window in Safari.  Neither worked.  So just to be clear - in the memo/description column, it displays the memo if one is there but never displays the description so if no memo, it show a blank in that column.

I really need to view a report with all of my descriptions so that I can export a few years of transactions into excel that include the descriptions.  I also tried exporting my data in the settings area and had the same experience.

I comprehend that customizing your report's appearance is important to your business, @scotrob11. Thank you for bringing this to our attention and taking the initiative to improve your reports.

When you run a report in QuickBooks, it looks at individual transaction lines to determine which lines match the report's criteria. QuickBooks uses a concept called Source and Targets to apply accounting principles and processes, which helps in recording transactions and displaying reports. 

The report set determines which lines of which transactions are included in the report and whether the report includes Source and/or Targets.

Understanding how to use reports in QuickBooks Online can help you use Report Filters more effectively, so you can create better reports and find information faster.

However, I can show you another way to run a report that displays the memo/description. 

Here's how:

1. In your QBO account, proceed to the Reports menu.
2. Search and select the Sales by Customer Detail report. 

I've included a screenshot for your reference, but please note that the names listed in the screenshot are just examples and not actual.

Additionally, you can check out these articles for instructions on customizing your sales forms and running financial reports:

• Customize reports in QuickBooks Online
• Run reports in QuickBooks Online

If you need further assistance with QuickBooks-related concerns aside from running reports, feel free to contact me anytime. I am always here to help and ensure that all of your concerns are addressed promptly.

This does show the description, but I'm looking to get the description for a credit card expense account, not a customer sales account.  Any idea how to do that?

Hello there, @scotrob11. I'll put you in touch with our best help available to ensure your transaction's descriptions are showing on your reports in QuickBooks Online (QBO).

To display the description of your transaction from a credit card expense account, you can run the Transaction Detail by Account report by following the steps provided by AldritchM.

If the issue persists after performing the necessary troubleshooting steps, I recommend reaching out to our customer support team. This way, they can walk you through the resolution and initiate an investigation if necessary. 

To do that:

1. Go to the Help icon and choose the Search tab.
2. Select Contact Us.
3. Describe your concern and select Continue.
4. Choose between Chat with us and Have us call you.

Moreover, you can memorize reports in QBO to save their current customization settings.

Let me know if you have other concerns about running reports. We're always here to help. Stay safe.

I really appreciate the response but maybe I'm just not explaining myself.  I have done exactly what he explains but even though I have checked the memo/description box it only shows the memo and if there is no memo it shows nothing.  I did speak to QB support and they elevated the issue to a more senior person who screenshared with me.  The only suggestion was to try a different browser or to use incognito mode, but neither worked.  I do have a mac, so maybe I'll try a PC and see if that helps.  Clearly I'm doing the right thing and am following everyone's instructions do it appears to be some type of bug.  If any can think of a work around, that would be appreciated!

FYI, I tried it on a PC and it's the same issue so it's not a browser issue, it must be something buggy with my account.  Really, really weird.

-S

Hi there, scotrob11.

I apologize for any inconvenience caused by the issue you're experiencing. It's essential to ensure that your concern is addressed and resolved promptly. I know you have already contacted our contact support team in situations like this. I recommend reaching out to QuickBooks Online Support again. 

QuickBooks Online Support has a team of dedicated experts who can provide personalized assistance and troubleshoot the specific issue you're facing. They have the knowledge and resources to investigate the matter further and find a resolution for you.
 

To contact QuickBooks Online Support, visit the QuickBooks Online Help and navigate to the contact page. You'll find various options to connect with a support representative, such as live chat or phone.

QuickBooks Online Support is dedicated to ensuring your success and satisfaction with the product. They are here to help you overcome any challenges you may encounter. So please don't hesitate to reach out to them again for further guidance and resolution. 

In the meantime, as a workaround, you can copy and paste the description details to make them appear in the Memo field.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please let me know. I'm here to assist you in any way I can. Have a great day!

I have over 2k transactions.  I can't really copy and paste.  I have already spoken to support and it was elevated to a more senior person.  Not sure why the suggestion is to contact them again, but thanks anyway!

- s

Is there a way to get both the memo and the description to show up on transaction reports?  Thanks!

I acknowledge your posting here in the Community space, @KS2024. Showing memos and descriptions when running a transaction report is essential to you and your business today. Let's delve into this concern, KS2024.

Please note that when a transaction contains a memo and a description, only the memo is shown in the transaction report in QuickBooks Online (QBO). To ensure that the description is displayed, I recommend including the description alongside the memo when entering the entries. This way, both the memo and description will be visible in the report.

See the attached photo below to understand more:

Here's what you can do for the description to show with the memo:

On the other hand, to have detailed knowledge about reports utilizing QBO, you can see this reference for a future guide: Common custom reports in QuickBooks Online.

Thank you for making this thread active, KS2024. Know that for any of your queries, you can trust us to help you. I will be glad to assist you again. Keep safe!

This isn't resolving the issue. There is too much to type for each and every transaction, and copy/pasting for each and every one is redundant. 

Not helpful, since I updated the description no longer shows in search. I do not have reports in the left panel. 

Not at all helpful. Why did the description stop showing? 

There are instances where a data utility saved on your browser's cloud storage gets outdated, resulting in functionality glitches in the platform, irp. I'm here to share some troubleshooting steps to help you handle this situation.

Any changes to your transaction's description should be reflected and searched upon editing. To ensure the modification syncs, please Refresh ⟳ your browser after saving the entry.

After that, enter the exact text in the description in the Search field.

On the other hand, we can check if the Reports menu was disabled. It could be why it's not visible on the side panel.

1. Click the Pencil icon beside the Menu section.
2. Locate the Reports option from the list and ensure it's turned on.
3. Once done, hit Save.
   

Once you encounter the same problem after refreshing your browser and double-checking the Menu list, let's access your account using a private browser. It restricts data from being stored on your device's history.

Here are the keyboard shortcut keys you can follow that vary by browser type:

• Google Chrome: Ctrl + Shift + N
• Mozilla Firefox: Ctrl + Shift + P
• Microsoft Edge: Ctrl + Shift + N
• Safari: Command + Shift + N

After that, confirm if you can look for the transaction using the description on the Search tab and access the Reports menu on the side panel. If you can successfully do so, it verifies an issue with your standard browser. To fix it, kindly clear your cache and cookies.

If the issue persists, you can use another supported browser to narrow down the result.

I've also included some resources you can utilize in the future:

• Customize invoices, estimates, and sales receipts in QuickBooks Online
• Memorize reports in QuickBooks Online

They can guide you through personalizing your sales forms and saving the modifications on your reports.

Should you have other concerns with your descriptions and navigating your Reports and QuickBooks menus, tag me on this thread. I'll be here for you every step of the way.