When I run my General Ledger report I get the error message, "The report you are attempting to create may not display due to its large size and volume of data."

Due to limitations in web-based technology, our reports can only show a limited amount of information. Because of the size and scope of the General Ledger report, it is common to see this error. The best way to work around this is to export the data to Excel.  Sometimes a simple export will show the entire report without having to go through the below steps, so do try a simple export first by clicking the Export button.

QuickBooks Online can export more data to a spreadsheet than it can display internally, but the amount it can export is still limited. If you export the full General Ledger report and there is data missing from the spreadsheet, you will need to create a series of reports, export them to Excel, then combine them into a single report within Excel.

1. Choose Reports.
2. Search for the General Ledger report and click to run.
3. Click Customize and enter the appropriate date range.
4. Within the Lists section, click the drop-down menu for Distribution Account and choose Select Multiple.
5. The first bank will be highlighted.  Hold down the Shift key and click on the last bank account. This should select all bank accounts.
6. Click Add and then OK.
7. Click Run Report.

This will create a General Ledger of your bank accounts. For easy access later, click the Save Customizations button and give your report a descriptive name; for example - Bank Accounts General Ledger.

Next, create a report for all your other Balance Sheet accounts (Assets, Liabilities, & Equity).

1. Follow steps 1 through 5 above.
2. In the list of Distribution accounts, click on the first account after your bank accounts, hold down the Shift key, and click the last equity account listed.
3. Click Add and then OK.
4. Click Run Report.

Make sure to Save Customizations on this report for later use.

Last, use these same steps and select all your Income and Expense accounts. Again, Save Customizations on the report. Once all the reports are created you can access them by going to the Reports menu and selecting My Custom Reports.

Note: If your file is particularly large you may need to break up these reports even further. Try limiting the date range or breaking up the accounts.  

To create a combined report of your General Ledger, open each of the memorized reports and use the Export button to send them to Excel. Then use the tools in Excel to combine the information. For instructions on how to combine worksheet information, please refer to the Help Index in Excel.

For more information on report limitations, see our related article What causes large reports to be cut off?.

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