<p>Try using <a href="http://blockchain.info">BlockChain.info</a> - you can add a watch only address and then receive email or SMS alerts every time it does anything - so you don't even have to consciously keep an eye on it. </p>

<p>Edit: I apologise, I didn't see that you wanted to use QT for it. I don't know of any way to do this, so propose blockchain as an alternative. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-29T23:42:42.737Z
Qt would be the most convenient, but 'watch only' address is what is was looking for tnx
pinhead
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-30T01:06:03.310Z
It seems as if the question was suffering from a mild case of the [XY Problem](http://meta.stackexchange.com/a/66378/202692). Your answer solves what he *meant* to ask, though. Upvote for you.
JamesTheAwesomeDude
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-30T01:12:38.370Z
Another service that provides this type of monitoring is http://btcbalance.net .
Stephen Gornick
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-29T23:38:47.260Z
2013-04-29T23:38:47.260Z
George Pearce
<p><a href="http://cointrack.net" rel="nofollow">Cointrack.net</a> is a solution for users who need a convenient location to keep track of their various digital currencies stored in a variety of forms.</p>

<p>Cointrack does not store your coin; instead it displays any number of 
your address balances. It can also notify you of balance changes 
via email. This streamlines the process of keeping tabs on all
of your addresses, especially if they are stored remotely and/or on paper.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-07T15:44:41.877Z
2014-11-07T15:54:59.800Z
2014-11-07T15:54:59.800Z
CoinTrack
<p>I use Balances.io to track my Bitcoin, Litecoin and Dogecoin balances.  You never use a private key.  It simply monitors the balance contained in the public addresses.  I am not the owner of this website, only a user.  I am in a similar situation where I have cold storage wallets and I want to keep track of those balances.</p>

<p><a href="https://balances.io/" rel="nofollow">https://balances.io/</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-23T23:02:01.563Z
2014-11-23T23:02:01.563Z
Scott
<ol>
<li>Setup a Bitcoin-Core (formerly Bitcoin-Qt) wallet on a separate, offline computer.</li>
<li>Import the private key.</li>
<li>Protect the wallet with a long, random gibberish password.</li>
<li>Forget or throw away the password.</li>
</ol>

<p>You now effectively have a read-only wallet for your address, which you can safely use in other Bitcoin-Core installation, in online or potentially unsecure environments.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-08T10:21:19.220Z
2014-11-08T10:21:19.220Z
Maǳi Koǌo
<p>Try <a href="https://blockonomics.co" rel="nofollow">https://blockonomics.co</a> , you can easily track the balance of your address. You can also label your addresses and get email notifications on credits/ debits</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-01T11:05:43.870Z
2015-01-01T11:05:43.870Z
shiva sitamraju
<p>As of version 0.8.1, this is not possible with Bitcoin-Qt. There is a <a href="https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/2121">pull request</a> to add support for watch-only addresses, which may make it into 0.9. Feel free to help testing!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-29T23:56:44.243Z
2013-04-29T23:56:44.243Z
Pieter Wuille
<p>I generated a paper wallet offline and running from fresh OS, and I'm not going to ever type that private key into a computer until it's time to spend the coins.</p>

<p>But I will send coins to this address as a 'piggy bank'</p>

<p>My question: can the Qt client be configured to track an address and update the available balance for an address, without the private key ever being entered?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-22T00:47:28.733Z
you can do this from the commandline [with bitcoin-cli version 10+](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/36151/2116)
mulllhausen
<paper-wallet><watch-only>
Monitor paper wallet balance without importing private key?
pinhead
# Monitor paper wallet balance without importing private key?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-04-29)

I generated a paper wallet offline and running from fresh OS, and I'm not going to ever type that private key into a computer until it's time to spend the coins.

But I will send coins to this address as a 'piggy bank'

My question: can the Qt client be configured to track an address and update the available balance for an address, without the private key ever being entered?

**Tags:** paper-wallet, watch-only

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: you can do this from the commandline [with bitcoin-cli version 10+](http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/36151/2116)  

---

## 6 answers

### Answer by username_9 on 2013-04-29. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

As of version 0.8.1, this is not possible with Bitcoin-Qt. There is a [pull request](https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/pull/2121) to add support for watch-only addresses, which may make it into 0.9. Feel free to help testing!


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2013-04-29. Score: 7

Try using [BlockChain.info](http://blockchain.info) - you can add a watch only address and then receive email or SMS alerts every time it does anything - so you don't even have to consciously keep an eye on it.

Edit: I apologise, I didn't see that you wanted to use QT for it. I don't know of any way to do this, so propose blockchain as an alternative.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Qt would be the most convenient, but 'watch only' address is what is was looking for tnx  
> **username_3**: It seems as if the question was suffering from a mild case of the [XY Problem](http://meta.stackexchange.com/a/66378/202692). Your answer solves what he *meant* to ask, though. Upvote for you.  
> **username_4**: Another service that provides this type of monitoring is http://btcbalance.net .  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2014-11-07. Score: 3

[Cointrack.net](http://cointrack.net) is a solution for users who need a convenient location to keep track of their various digital currencies stored in a variety of forms.

Cointrack does not store your coin; instead it displays any number of
your address balances. It can also notify you of balance changes
via email. This streamlines the process of keeping tabs on all
of your addresses, especially if they are stored remotely and/or on paper.


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2014-11-23. Score: 3

I use Balances.io to track my Bitcoin, Litecoin and Dogecoin balances. You never use a private key. It simply monitors the balance contained in the public addresses. I am not the owner of this website, only a user. I am in a similar situation where I have cold storage wallets and I want to keep track of those balances.

<https://balances.io/>


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2014-11-08. Score: 1

1. Setup a Bitcoin-Core (formerly Bitcoin-Qt) wallet on a separate, offline computer.
2. Import the private key.
3. Protect the wallet with a long, random gibberish password.
4. Forget or throw away the password.

You now effectively have a read-only wallet for your address, which you can safely use in other Bitcoin-Core installation, in online or potentially unsecure environments.


---

### Answer by username_8 on 2015-01-01. Score: 0

Try <https://blockonomics.co> , you can easily track the balance of your address. You can also label your addresses and get email notifications on credits/ debits


---

