> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/llms.txt).
# Navigate the Ledger
The Ledger shows every category's register for the period you pick, built from your categorized bank and card activity plus the entries you add yourself.
## What the Ledger shows
The Ledger is the full record of your books: one register card per category, listing every amount that went in or out during the period. You don't build it yourself. It fills in from the bank and card statements you upload in **Banks & Cards**, the bills and invoices you record, and any transaction you add with **Add Transaction**.
1. In the left navigation, click **Accounting** › **Ledger** (or press G then L).
2. Pick the period with the arrows or the month button at the top. Presets include **This Month**, **Last Month**, **Last 3 Months**, **This Quarter**, **Year to Date**, **Last Year** and **All Time**, or choose a custom range.
## Find what you're looking for
| Control | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Lookup…** (left rail) | Searches your categories. Click a category to jump to its register card. |
| Rail button next to **Lookup…** | Collapses or expands the category rail to give the registers more room. |
| **Filter N transactions…** | Filters the registers by party, description, memo, date, category name or amount. Click **Clear** to remove the filter. |
| **Expand all** / **Collapse all** | Opens or folds every register card at once. |
| **View** / **Edit** | **Edit** lets you change a row's category and opens your own entries for editing. |
Each register card shows **Date**, **Party**, **Category** and **Amount**, and can also show **Source** and **Balance** columns. At the bottom of the page, **View** followed by the previous period's name steps back one period.
## Open a row
What happens when you click a row depends on where it came from:
- **A bank or card transaction** opens its details, with **Back to Ledger** at the top. See [Transaction details and the activity log](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/ledger-and-categories/transaction-details-and-activity).
- **A transaction you added** opens its summary. In **Edit** mode it opens straight into the editor, unless a statement has already matched it. See [Edit or remove a manual transaction](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/ledger-and-categories/edit-or-remove-a-manual-transaction).
- **A bill or invoice line** opens that bill or invoice.
{% hint style="info" %}
**Tip:** In **Edit** mode, when you change a bank transaction's category, ZeraBooks offers to apply the same category to similar transactions. See [Apply a correction to similar transactions](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/banks-and-cards/apply-a-correction-to-similar-transactions).
{% endhint %}
## Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Ledger empty?
The Ledger fills in from your categorized bank and card transactions. When a period has nothing yet, you see "No Transactions". Upload statements in **Banks & Cards** and every account's register appears automatically. See [Upload a statement](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/banks-and-cards/upload-a-statement).
What does "Detailed activity begins" mean at the top of the Ledger?
Your books were started from an earlier system's closing balances. Amounts dated on the opening date are summaries, not that month's real activity. Click **Review opening books** to check them. See [Review, import and undo opening books](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/getting-started/review-import-and-undo-opening-books).
Why do I see "No Results Found"?
Your filter matches nothing in this period. Click **Reset Filters**, or pick a longer period at the top of the page.
Can I change a category from the Ledger?
Yes. Switch to **Edit** and change the category on the row, or open the transaction and change **Pay For**. The change applies everywhere the transaction appears.
What does "Could not load the ledger" mean?
The page couldn't reach ZeraBooks. Check your connection and click **Retry ledger**. Nothing in your books has changed.
---
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