TL;DR: To monitor or review a Bitcoin transaction, either check the wallet to view transaction details or use a block explorer—a tool that displays blockchain transaction data. Block explorers allow users to trace money flow and transaction history by entering the transaction, block, or address into its search fields. You can use public versions like mempool.space or blockstream.info; many users also opt to run their own block explorer instance.
If you have recently made a Bitcoin transaction or are waiting for on-chain bitcoin to be received, there are two ways to check it.
The first step is simply to check the corresponding wallet. You should be able to see the transaction in the transaction list and tap on it to expand the detail view. The second method is to use a so-called block explorer—software that accesses the blockchain and gives you all the details you might want to see. It allows you to traverse the blocks and transactions and trace the money flow pertaining to the transaction, i.e., which UTXOs the money came from and in which subsequent transaction it is used. To check any transaction, block, or address, enter it into the search field of the block explorer website.
You can even run your own block explorer instance (usually part of node software distributions like Umbrel, RunCitadel, or Raspiblitz) or access a publicly accessible version of that same software at mempool.space or blockstream.info.
Key facts
- Every Bitcoin transaction has a transaction ID (txid), a unique 64-character code you can paste into any block explorer to look it up.
- A block explorer is a public, read-only window into the blockchain. Blockstream runs one at blockstream.info, built on the open-source Esplora software.
- You can search a block explorer by transaction ID, by Bitcoin address, or by block height.
- Confirmations show how deeply a transaction is buried in the chain. Around six confirmations is the common threshold for treating it as final.
- Unconfirmed transactions sit in the mempool, where the explorer shows their fee rate and position in the queue.
Finding Your Transaction ID
The transaction ID, or txid, is the key to looking anything up. It is a 64-character string of letters and numbers that permanently identifies one transaction on the blockchain. Your wallet records the txid for every payment you send or receive. To find it, open the transaction in your wallet's history and look for a field labelled transaction ID, txid, or details. Most wallets let you copy it with one tap or offer a direct "view on block explorer" link.
Once you have the txid, paste it into the search field of a block explorer to pull up the full, public record of that transaction.
Using Blockstream Explorer to Read a Transaction
Blockstream Explorer at blockstream.info is a free block explorer for the Bitcoin network, also covering the Liquid Network. Enter a txid, address, or block number in the search bar and the explorer returns the matching record. On a transaction page you can read the parts that matter most:
- Status: whether the transaction is confirmed and in a block, or still unconfirmed in the mempool.
- Confirmations: how many blocks have been mined on top of the one containing your transaction. The number rises by one with each new block, around every ten minutes.
- Inputs and outputs: the addresses the bitcoin came from and the addresses it went to, including any change returned to the sender.
- Fee and fee rate: the miner fee paid, shown in total and as a rate in sats per virtual byte (sats/vByte).
Blockstream Explorer is built on Esplora, an open-source explorer and API that anyone can inspect or run. The same data is available programmatically through the Blockchain Explorer API, which developers use to query transactions, addresses, and fee estimates.
Reading Confirmations and Transaction Status
When you first broadcast a transaction it is unconfirmed, meaning it has been relayed to the network but not yet recorded in a block. At this stage the explorer lists it in the mempool. Once a miner includes it in a block, it gains its first confirmation, and every subsequent block adds another. More confirmations mean the transaction is harder to reverse. A single confirmation is enough for small amounts, while six or more is the standard for treating a payment as final and highly secure.
If a transaction stays unconfirmed for a long time, the explorer's fee data usually explains why. A fee rate below what miners are currently accepting leaves the transaction waiting in the mempool until network demand falls or the fee is bumped.
Looking Up a Bitcoin Address Instead of a Transaction
You can also search a block explorer by Bitcoin address rather than by a single transaction. Entering an address shows its current balance and every transaction that has ever paid to or spent from it. This is useful for confirming that funds reached the right address, or for reviewing the history tied to an address you have already shared. Because the blockchain is public, anyone with an address can view this information, which is one reason wallets generate a fresh address for each payment.
What the Mempool Shows Before Confirmation
The mempool is the holding area for transactions that have been broadcast but not yet mined. While your transaction waits there, a block explorer shows its fee rate and lets you compare it against the rates of other pending transactions. Miners generally select higher-fee transactions first, so the mempool view is the clearest way to estimate how long a pending payment will take. blockstream.info and mempool.space both expose this view publicly, and the same software can be run on your own node.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find my Bitcoin transaction ID?
Open the transaction in your wallet's history and look for a field labelled transaction ID, txid, or details. Most wallets let you copy the full 64-character string, and many include a direct link to view the transaction on a block explorer.
What is the difference between a wallet and a block explorer?
Your wallet shows only your own transactions and balances. A block explorer is a public tool that can display any transaction, address, or block on the entire network. Use the wallet for a quick personal check and the explorer for the full on-chain record.
Why is my Bitcoin transaction still unconfirmed?
An unconfirmed transaction is waiting in the mempool to be included in a block. The usual cause is a fee rate lower than what miners are currently prioritising. Checking the transaction on a block explorer shows its fee rate and how it compares with current network demand.
Can I look up a transaction without the transaction ID?
Yes. If you know one of the Bitcoin addresses involved, you can search the explorer by address to see all transactions tied to it and locate the one you need. You can also search by block height to browse the transactions confirmed in a specific block.
Is Blockstream Explorer free to use?
Yes. blockstream.info is free and requires no account. It is built on the open-source Esplora project, and the underlying data is also available to developers through the Blockchain Explorer API.
How many confirmations are enough?
One confirmation is generally fine for small amounts. Six confirmations, roughly an hour, is the widely used standard for larger payments because the transaction becomes extremely difficult to reverse at that depth.