What is XBRL?

XBRL, which stands for eXtensible Business Reporting Language, is an international standard for digital business reporting. This standard is managed by XBRL International, a global not-for-profit consortium. XBRL is widely adopted and utilized in over 50 countries, where millions of digital documents using XBRL have supplanted traditional paper-based reports. The implementation of XBRL allows reporting terms to be authoritatively defined, supporting a diverse range of reports including compliance, performance, and business reports.

The use of XBRL facilitates the efficient, accurate, and digital transfer of reporting information. As a platform-independent and testable standard, XBRL is often likened to major shifts such as the move from film to digital photography or from paper maps to digital ones. It plays a transformational role in global supply chains for reporting, akin to the standardization introduced by shipping containers. This standardization ensures that the information contained in reports is accurately consumed and analyzed.

XBRL also fosters the validation, publication, exchange, consumption, and analysis of business information, enabling the seamless exchange of reports across different information systems. It is utilized by a wide range of stakeholders, including regulators, companies, supply chains, governments, data providers, analysts, investors, and accountants. With its broad features, XBRL supports nearly every type of reporting and is backed by taxonomies that provide clear definitions and relationships for reporting terms. Additionally, it can establish testable business rules to guarantee the quality of information reported. The XBRL community continuously enhances the standard to meet evolving needs and the software supporting XBRL is available from a variety of vendors.

XBRL Plugins for Excel

Accessing Financial Report Data

The XBRL Filed Data by XBRL US plugin for Excel enables users to retrieve data from financial reports submitted in XBRL format. To use this plugin, a free XBRL US Web Account is necessary, along with XBRL API credentials.

Obtaining Necessary Credentials

Users can acquire the XBRL US Web Account and XBRL API credentials at https://xbrl.us/access-token. Additionally, the XBRL API documentation is accessible at https://xbrlus.github.io/xbrl-api for further reference.

Utilizing Additional Features with Power User Membership

To unlock the full potential of the XBRL Filed Data by XBRL US plugin, a power user membership is required. This membership grants access to enhanced features, including increased data return limits, full access to XBRL API data, and exclusive member-only endpoints and features.

Common Use Cases

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  Retrieving as-filed financial report data from the US Securities and Exchange Commission and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission directly into Excel for analysis
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  Validating the data quality of XBRL reports for XBRL US Members and public company filers within Excel
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  Creating customized searches and API calls through the Query tab to target specific financial information
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  Connecting with the XBRL Data Community to exchange templates and tips for better utilization of XBRL data in Excel
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  Utilizing enhanced features for Power User Individual Members or Organizational Members such as accessing more data rows and member-only endpoints

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to start using the XBRL plugin for Excel?

You need a free XBRL US Web Account and XBRL API credentials to use the add-in.

How many rows of data can I retrieve with the XBRL plugin as a non-member?

A non-member account can return up to 100 rows of data per query.

Is it possible to get more than 100 rows of data with the XBRL plugin for Excel?

Yes, the plugin enables up to 1,000 rows of data retrieval using an offset parameter.

How can I search for financial reports using the XBRL plugin for Excel?

The Query tab in the plugin helps users search the database for financial reports.

Can I check for data quality issues in XBRL reports with the plugin?

XBRL US Members and public company filers can use the Validate tab to check for data quality issues in XBRL reports.