Validating Your ESEF Report - Validation Messages

  • Updated

Introduction

Below is an explanation of validation messages, and their possible solutions, that you might see while using the tagger and creating an ESEF-report. We recommend you to use the search function (Ctrl + F on Windows, Command + F on a Mac) to help navigating the list. The validation messages are split between Inline Validations (that you can see in the tagger) and Report Generation Validations (that you can see in the validation report).

Inline Validations

  • Duplicate mapping detected (or Duplicate mapping error) - For each period, a tag can only be used once unless the reported value is the same. If the same tag would appear a second time with a different value you will get a Duplicate mapping error, see our dedicated page for further troubleshooting.

  • Duplicate Label - Appears if you have the same tag in two different places where the Label of the Element is different. You find the setting for the Label of the Element in the Properties tab, it needs to be the same on every instance of the tag.
    Please note that if you are using the Extension Labels Only as your Label Handling Option in your ESEF project settings, then you can discard these validations (unless it is an extension) as the official labels from the taxonomy will be used.

  • DimensionallyInvalid (please see the two different versions below):
    1. Tagging is dimensionally invalid due to missing parenthetical - This error message typically appears when you apply a monetary tag without an abstract. Follow the instructions on our support page to clear this message.
    2. Dimensional inconsistency between hierarchy and tagged elements in table - Each column mapping in the Statement of Changes in Equity table has to contain the same dimension. We recommend checking all the dates are correct for Instant (i.e. Opening/Closing Balances) and Duration type tags.

  • DocumentValidation - Please check the continuation order for element [NameOfTag] on layer ['NameOfLayer'] - This message is related to Textblock tags. As per requirement from ESMA, the Textblock tags should appear in a human readable order. To clear this message from your validation, right click on the Textblock tag in the "Text Tagging" tab and select "Continuation Administration". A new window will pop up which shows a list of content this tag has been applied to. To ensure the ordering is correct, click on the blue arrow on the bottom left, then click "Save". Read more about continuation errors here.

  • Invalid anchors (extension element has no anchors) - Every custom extension to the taxonomy needs at least one anchor to the original XBRL taxonomy, unless it is the total of a calculation relationship, see our dedicated page for further instructions.
  • Invalid Calculation, the reported total does not match the calculated total - Your calculated total is incorrect. To try and fix the calculation, please click the Properties tab and check that:
    • The cells have the correct Number or Date Format.
    • The cells have the correct Decimals (if your numbers are being rounded incorrectly, try increasing the number by 1 (e.g. from -6 to -5)).
    • The cells have the correct SignLogic.
    • If the above criteria are met and you still get an Invalid Calculation, it could be due to a mismatch in the Calculation Linkbase. See Report Wide Calculations for more details.

    Please be aware that you cannot have calculations with both Instant and Duration Period types. You will need to delete this calculation.

  • Invalid Calculation, for at least one calculated element the selected period type or date does not match the total element - The date or period type (i.e. instant or duration) of the tag is incorrect. Please click the Properties tab in the bottom left hand pane and check the Instant/End Date and Period Start Date value. If you have created an extension, please use the Taxonomy Extension Properties tab to change the period type if necessary.

  • Invalid Format, the selected format is incompatible with tag - An incorrect base format has been applied, e.g. a date format for a monetary value. Please check that you have used the correct tag.
    • Select the tag in the right hand pane.
    • In the Tags tab in the bottom left hand pane, click the name of the tag.
    • Click on the Properties tab in the bottom right hand pane.
    • Scroll down to the end where it says Type and see what type of data is required and if it matches the cell's value.

  • Invalid Value, the value '–' is not valid for selected XBRL format '123 456.78 | 123,456.78 (ixt:num-dot-decimal)' (or num-comma-decimal) - Please select the cell with the value '-', click the Properties tab and change the Number or Date Format to fixed-zero and/or Report as Nil to True.

  • An adjacent cell has a different tag, please check if this is intended - A Warning that are for information purposes only and as such can be ignored. Please check so that the tags that are applied to the row is correct. If you have tagged a split table (see more information on this page), make sure you set the correct Table Split Column ID according to the instructions at the bottom of the page above.

  • The mapping for a duration type element has a StartDate that is later than the EndDate. Please set a correct StartDate - Please select the tag, click the Properties tab and change the Instant/End Date value to be later than the Period Start Date value.

  • Unresolved mapping - This error message indicates that tags you applied in a previous version cannot be reapplied in the version you just opened. We recommend that you take note of the tags mentioned and re-apply the tags. Read more about this here.

  • Document Validation, cell still in Review pending status - To clear this message, right click on the yellow cells in your financial statement(s), select Set status, then Final.

  • Element Missing, line item missing - A cell in the statement of changes in equity table has dimension members tagged, but no line item tags. This can be corrected by applying line item tags to the cells.

  • Table (Table Name) has no table element mapped - Every table containing tags needs to be tagged with a table (abstract) tag.
    • Click and select the table in the top-left hand pane.
    • Drag a table (abstract) tag from the taxonomy in the top right-hand pane to the link next to the row called Table Tag.
  • Error, A loop has been detected between "...." - This validation error usually occurs if the wrong abstract tag has been used. As a general rule the first Abstract in the folder is the one to start with. If you’ve split one statement into two tables, both tables must be tagged with this same abstract tag. Correcting the tag will clear the error message.

Report Generation Validations

  • Reported value is below 0 - By default, the ESEF/IFRS XBRL taxonomy elements are defined as a positive value. If the reported value (XBRL Value) is below 0, this warning will be displayed in your validation report.
    As an example, the element ifrs-full:CostOfSales should be reported as a positive number, even if it is usually presented with a negative sign on the face of the financial statements. Therefore, in this example the SignLogic for ifrs-full:CostOfSales would need to be set to Reverse. For more information on SignLogic, please visit this page.

  • Document contains private characters - This message is related to "hidden data" and can appear if you have used substituted glyphs in your InDesign document. You can correct this in InDesign by following the instructions here. Please note that this warning can refer to untagged text content, which means that you will not be able to identify it with searching for ix:exclude in the XHTML-document (as per the instructions on the page linked to).

  • Nested continuations, continuation with ID '(number)' is nested in fact (tag) - Relates to continuations that originate from the same tag and intersect the same text content, see our dedicated page for further instructions.