Understanding iXBRL

What is iXBRL?

Inline XBRL (iXBRL) embeds machine-readable XBRL tags in the HTML of a set of accounts, so the same document can be read by people and processed by software. The tags identify figures and disclosures, including what they mean, the period they cover and the units used. UK companies use it to file accounts with Companies House and HMRC, and US public companies use it for their SEC filings. Listed companies in the UK and Europe file ESEF reports in the same format.

See what each figure means

In a browser, you can read the published accounts, but the tags are usually hidden. They tell you what a figure represents, which period it covers and whether it relates to the group or the company alone. Calculation relationships can also show how figures add up to their totals.

Graffiti shows those tags beside the accounts. You can inspect figures, search the data, run checks and export it for further analysis. Start free with filings from public filing registers on this website. A paid plan adds a bookmarklet for filing pages on other websites.

Browse filingsRead the guide
Accounts as a browser shows them, with the iXBRL tags hidden.
What the browser shows
The same accounts with tags highlighted by Graffiti.
What Graffiti reveals

How to view iXBRL accounts in your browser

An iXBRL file opens in any browser as an ordinary web page, but the tags stay hidden. To see them, open the file in an iXBRL viewer. With Graffiti there is nothing to install:

  1. Go to Browse filings and search Companies House by company name or number, or the SEC by name, ticker or CIK.
  2. Pick a set of accounts. It opens with every tagged figure highlighted.
  3. Click a figure to see its concept, period, unit and dimensions.

Already have the file? Choose Your own file or link on Browse filings. A .xhtml, .html or .htm file, or a .zip report package, is read in your browser, not uploaded. On Companies House, the filing history offers Download iXBRL for accounts filed electronically.

View ESEF annual reports

Listed companies in the UK and the EU publish their annual reports in the European Single Electronic Format (ESEF): iXBRL inside a report package. On Browse filings, search listed companies by name or LEI, filter by country or year end and open the report. Graffiti reads the package, shows the IFRS and company-specific tags, and runs ESEF anchoring checks. Each result links back to its entry on filings.xbrl.org.

To get the figures into a spreadsheet, see Export iXBRL figures to Excel. For how Graffiti differs from other viewers, read Graffiti compared with other iXBRL viewers.

Independent resources

Learn more about iXBRL