Master blockchain explorers. Learn to read transactions, verify contracts, and track wallets on Etherscan.
fundamentalsBeginner15-20 minutes6 stepsPrerequisites: Basic understanding of Ethereum, A wallet address or transaction to explore
On this page
Quick Overview
1Search for Address
2Read Address Page
3Understand Transactions
4Decode Input Data
5Verify Contracts
6Track Token Approvals
Etherscan is the most popular Ethereum blockchain explorer. It lets you view transactions, wallet balances, smart contracts, and token information. Every DeFi user should know how to use it.
What is Etherscan?
Etherscan is a window into the Ethereum blockchain. Everything on Ethereum is public, and Etherscan makes it readable.
You Can View:
Transaction details
Wallet balances and history
Smart contract code
Token information
Gas prices
Key Pages Explained
Page
URL Pattern
Shows
. . .
. . . . . . -
. . . -
Transaction
etherscan.io/tx/...
Transaction details
Address
etherscan.io/address/...
Wallet or contract
Token
etherscan.io/token/...
Token info and holders
Block
etherscan.io/block/...
Block contents
Other Block Explorers
Each chain has its own explorer:
Arbitrum: arbiscan.io
Base: basescan.org
Optimism: optimistic.etherscan.io
Polygon: polygonscan.com
. -
Track all your wallets with Fensory. Easier than checking explorers manually.
Start Tracking →
Step-by-Step Instructions
1
Search for Address
Go to etherscan.io and paste any wallet address in the search bar.
Tips
✓Works for wallets and contracts
✓Addresses start with 0x
2
Read Address Page
View ETH balance, token holdings, and transaction history for any address.
Tips
✓Click Token dropdown to see all tokens
✓Internal Txns shows contract interactions
3
Understand Transactions
Click any transaction to see details: from, to, value, gas used, and status.
Tips
✓Green checkmark = success
✓Red X = failed transaction
4
Decode Input Data
For contract interactions, click Decode Input Data to see what function was called.
Tips
✓Shows function name and parameters
✓Helps understand what happened
5
Verify Contracts
Check if a contract is verified by looking for the green checkmark on the Contract tab.
Warnings
⚠Unverified contracts are higher risk
⚠Anyone can verify open-source contracts
6
Track Token Approvals
Click Token Approvals under More to see which contracts can spend your tokens.