How to query transaction records on the Ethereum blockchain?

Hey there, friend! Want to check a transaction on Ethereum? No problem, it's much simpler than you might think. You don't need any deep technical knowledge; just a good tool will do.

Ethereum is a public and transparent "grand ledger," where theoretically, any transaction record from anyone is publicly verifiable. What we need to do is learn how to "browse" this ledger.

Core Tool: Block Explorer

You can think of it as the "Google" of the Ethereum world. It's a website specifically designed for browsing and searching all information on the blockchain, including transactions, addresses, blocks, and so on.

The most commonly used and mainstream Ethereum explorer is Etherscan (website: https://etherscan.io/). Below, we'll use it as an example and walk you through how to check.

Three Scenarios for Querying, One for You

Typically, we look up transactions in the following situations:

Scenario One: You know the "Transaction Hash" (TxID)

This is the most common situation. When you complete a transfer, your wallet (e.g., MetaMask) will give you a long string starting with 0x. This is the transaction's unique "tracking number."

Steps:

1. Copy the Transaction Hash: For example, a long string like 0xabcde...12345.
2. Open the Etherscan website: https://etherscan.io/
3. Paste and Search: Paste the copied hash into the search bar at the top of the website, then press Enter.