2025-09-02T12:17:08 Status: #blog Tags: #altova Links: [[home]] | [[Altova]] | [[Technology]] | [[Software Development]] | [[Standards]] | [[XBRL]] | [[XML]] | [[XPath]] | [[XML Schema]] # Altova XBRL Tagging The [[XBRL]] landscape has certainly evolved over the past two decades. What started as a niche reporting format for financial disclosures has now become the global standard, mandated by everyone from the SEC to ESMA and regulatory bodies across dozens of jurisdictions. While this standardization brings obvious benefits—better data comparability, increased transparency, and more efficient regulatory oversight—it has also created some significant headaches for the organizations that actually have to produce these reports. ![[XBRL_Tagging_2.png]] We have supported [[XBRL]] in our developer tools for many years now, and our [RaptorXML+XBRL Server](https://www.altova.com/raptorxml) continues to be the de-facto standard for high-performance XBRL processing for many enterprises and regulators. Nevertheless, I've watched countless companies struggle with the complexity of XBRL implementation in their day-to-day operations. The regulatory requirements vary by jurisdiction. And perhaps most frustrating of all, the traditional approaches to XBRL tagging often require specialized technical knowledge that most finance and reporting teams simply don't have. We have already alleviated many of these headaches with our series of [XBRL add-ins for Excel](https://www.altova.com/regulatory-solutions) that make XBRL reporting very easy for [EBA](https://www.altova.com/eba-xbrl), [EIOPA (Solvency II)](https://www.altova.com/solvency), and [WIP](https://www.altova.com/wip), but today we are taking it one step further... ## Introducing the Free Beta of [XBRL Tagging](https://xbrl-tagging.com/) As a member of both XBRL International and XBRL US and holder of several XBRL Certified Software designations, we've now applied our decades of XBRL experience to creating the most modern and user-friendly visual [XBRL Tagging](https://xbrl-tagging.com/) solution in the cloud for **ESEF** and **US GAAP** financial reporting. You can try it right now at [xbrl-tagging.com](https://xbrl-tagging.com/). No account setup, no software installation, no waiting around for IT approval. Just upload your existing financial reports in any format (PDF, HTML, JPEG, PNG, SVG, etc.), upload your extension taxonomy, and start tagging. ![[XBRL_Tagging_Screenshot.png]] The core insight behind this tool is simple: most people working on financial reports aren't developers, nor should they need to be. They're financial professionals who understand their data inside and out—they just need a straightforward way to apply the right XBRL tags without getting bogged down in technical syntax. ## Visual Tagging in Action Here's how it works: you upload your existing financial document—whether it's a PDF, HTML file, or even a JPEG of your report—and the tool presents you with a familiar visual representation of your document. From there, you can tag elements directly on the document itself, just like adding comments or highlights.  The intelligence built into the tool handles the heavy lifting. Automatic table detection identifies your financial data structures. Smart footnote association helps you link narrative disclosures to the appropriate facts. And throughout the process, the underlying XBRL complexity is completely abstracted away. We've designed it to support both ESEF requirements for European filers and US GAAP rules for US companies, covering the two largest XBRL mandates currently in effect. ## Zero Barrier to Entry Perhaps what I'm most excited about with this release is how we've eliminated the traditional barriers to getting started with XBRL. No expensive licenses to negotiate. No consultants to hire before you can even begin. No months-long implementation projects. The tool is completely free to use in its current public beta form. Upload your taxonomy, upload your financial statement, and start tagging immediately. It is a cloud-based solution that runs entirely in your browser, so there's nothing to install or configure. Take a look at this video to see how easy it is to get started:  This represents a pretty significant departure from how XBRL tools have traditionally been positioned in the market. Instead of selling enterprise software with all the complexity that entails, we're making the technology accessible to anyone who needs it, when they need it. ## The Bigger Picture This kind of democratization of XBRL tools reflects something I've observed throughout my career in the XML space: the best technologies are the ones that become invisible to their users. When we first introduced visual XSLT editing with StyleVision years ago, some developers complained that we were making their specialized skills too accessible to non-programmers. But making technology more usable doesn't diminish its power—it amplifies it. The same principle applies here. By hiding the technical complexity of XBRL behind an intuitive visual interface, we're not dumbing down the technology. We're making it possible for the people who understand the financial data best—the accountants, financial analysts, and reporting professionals—to work directly with XBRL without needing to become XML experts first. ## Try It Yourself The solution is live now at [xbrl-tagging.com](https://xbrl-tagging.com/). Since it's cloud-based and requires no registration, you can test it with your own documents in just a few minutes. And if you want to save your progress, you can optionally choose to create a cloud account so you can come back to it later. --- # References - [Altova Blog: An Easy Solution for XBRL Tagging (and it's Free!)](https://www.altova.com/blog/2025/09/an-easy-solution-for-xbrl-tagging-and-its-free) - [XBRL-Tagging.com](https://xbrl-tagging.com/) - [Altova Cloud](https://altova.cloud/) - [Altova Regulatory Solutions](https://www.altova.com/regulatory-solutions) - [Altova XBRL Tools](https://www.altova.com/xbrl-tools) - [[XBRL|XBRL Knowledge Base]]