This article is for:
- SEC
- HMRC
- CIPC
- ESEF
- FERC
- Denmark
Each tagged number in a document must have a unit of measure and an accuracy. Default units and accuracies are set for each XBRL Profile. If you need to change defaults, either select a different XBRL profile or see Setting Default Units and Accuracies.
Keep in mind:
- All XBRL concepts have a data type, such as monetary, percent, string, or boolean.
- Each concept type determines which units you can use for that fact.
Understand units
Each numeric concept has a data type that determines which units it can use.
For example, concepts that are defined with a shares data type can have only a shares unit. Setting default units and accuracies automatically applies units you’ve selected based on the concept’s data type. If no default unit is set, then you must select the unit and accuracy for each fact.
Commonly Used Units
The available standard, predefined units include the following:
- Shares
- Common currencies
- Number, such as percentages, rates, and ratios
Note: Units are predefined in the Unit Type Registry.
Create a custom unit
If you need a unit that isn’t in the default list, create a custom unit.
NOTE: This is available only for some taxonomies.
To create a custom unit:
- 1
- Open the document and make sure Show XBRL is on.
- 2
- Choose an XBRL profile if one is not already applied.
- 3
- Click Attributes on the XBRL toolbar and select Units from the dropdown.
- 4
- Click Create New Unit and select either:
- Simple for a measure of just one type, such as number of employees.
- Ratio for complex units with a numerator and denominator, such as CAD (Canadian Dollar) per share.
Note: If you plan to assign the same unit to both numerator and denominator, such as USD to USD, select Simple.
- 5
- Enter information for the custom unit and click the green checkmark to finish.
Select units and accuracy
When deciding on a unit, check the data type of the concept and use an appropriate unit.
To select a unit and accuracy for a fact:
- 1
- Select the fact.
- 2
- In the Fact Details panel, double-click Accuracy, and choose from the dropdown.
- 3
- Double-click Add Unit and use the options in the Manage Units dialog box to find the appropriate unit. Click a unit name to see more information about it.
- 4
- Select the unit and click Apply.