Tag and Validate in Excel

Before you start

• Your Excel file must be saved on SharePoint or OneDrive.
• Each table you want to tag must have a defined name in Excel. Select the table range, type a name in the Name Box (top left, next to the formula bar), and press Enter.

Step 1: Open the add-in and select your taxonomy

Open the Drafts add-in and sign in with your Microsoft account. Select the base taxonomy you created in the Portal. If you have not set one up yet, see Setting Up Your Taxonomy in the Portal.

Step 2: Set up a table with the Tag Wizard

Click Tag New Table, select the named range you want to tag, and click Submit. The Tag Wizard will guide you through:

1. Choosing the root statement — Select the taxonomy statement that applies to this table (e.g., Income Statement, Balance Sheet).
   
2. Setting the tag order — Tell the add-in whether rows or columns carry the line items and time frames.
   1. Defining header columns — Specify what each column represents: Tag (the financial concept), a Time Frame (Instant or Period), or a Subtag.
      
   2. Defining header rows — Specify what each row represents. Add multiple rows or columns if the table structure requires it.
3. Hiding irrelevant rows/columns – On the final overview screen, hide any rows or columns that should not be tagged (e.g., note references, description columns).

Understanding tag order and table structure

Before you complete the Tag Wizard, it helps to understand what you are actually defining — because the wrong setup here will cause tagging errors later.

Tag order tells the add-in how your table is laid out. Specifically: which direction holds your line items (the financial concepts like Revenue or Total Assets), and which direction holds your time periods. Most financial tables have line items in rows and time periods in columns, but some — like a Statement of Changes in Equity — are transposed or have a more complex structure. You define this so the add-in can correctly interpret every cell.

Header column types define what each column in your table represents:

• Tag — The column that contains line item labels (e.g., "Revenue", "Net Profit"). This is what the add-in will match to a taxonomy concept.
• Time Frame — A column representing a reporting period. This can be either an Instant (a value at a single point in time, e.g., 31.12.2024 — used for Balance Sheet items) or a Period (a value over a time range, e.g., 01.01.2024–31.12.2024 — used for Income Statement items).
• Subtag — An additional dimension that further classifies a tag, used in more complex tables.

Header rows follow the same logic — you specify what each row represents, using the same types. You can define multiple header rows or columns if the table has multiple layers (for example, a table with both a comparative period column and a notes column).

Complex tables: Some tables do not follow a simple row-per-concept structure. A Statement of Changes in Equity, for example, typically has equity components across columns and transaction types across rows — the opposite of a standard table. For these, you need to define the tag order accordingly and may need multiple header definitions. If you are unsure how to structure a specific table type, contact support before setting up the Tag Wizard.

Step 3: Tag your table

With the Tag Wizard complete, you are ready to tag.

Set time frames first: Click a column header (e.g., "2024") and select the correct time frame variant. This applies to the whole column. Repeat for each period column.

Step 4: Handle calculations

For any total row, you need to define which cells it sums.

1. Click the total tag and then click Edit next to Calculations.
   
2. In the formula bar, type each cell that contributes to the total (e.g., D3+D4+D5), then click 'calculate'.
   
   
   
3. Save changes if calculation is correct or within the tolerance.
4. Rows that are not part of a calculation or a subtotal (e.g. shares) must be excluded from calculations. Do so by clicking on the row and check off on Exclude from summaries and save.
5. If all calculations are complete and correct the color indicators on each row will turn green
   

Step 5: Create an extended tag (if needed)

If no existing tag fits a line item, you can create a company-specific extended tag.

1. Click the relevant cell — the Create Tag button will appear.
2. Click Create Tag and select the most appropriate wider (parent) tag, or choose none.
3. Optionally define narrower tags underneath it for more detailed reporting.
4. Review the auto-filled properties, adjust the tag type (Credit/Debit) if needed, and add any labels.
5. Click Save and Create Tag. Extended tags appear in yellow under the Extensions role in the tag list.

Step 6: Validate

Click Validate Tags in the add-in. If errors are found, the add-in will show their count and location. Navigate to each flagged item, correct the tag or calculation, and click Validate Tags again. Repeat until all tags show green.

Step 5: Create an extended tag (if needed)

1. Click the relevant cell — the Create Tag button will appear.
2. Click Create Tag and select the most appropriate wider (parent) tag, or choose none.
3. Optionally define narrower tags underneath it for more detailed reporting.
4. Review the auto-filled properties, adjust the tag type (Credit/Debit) if needed, and add any labels.
5. Click Save and Create Tag. Extended tags appear in yellow under the Extensions role in the tag list.

Step 6: Validate

• Yellow icon — Tag is inserted but not yet validated.
• Green — Validated and correct.
• Red — Error that must be corrected.