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What does a fallback concept chain preserve, and what can it change?
Keep the actual XBRL concept visible when a standard reference label can be supplied by alternative concepts.
A display label can cover a concept chain
A reference may try several declared concepts to fill a standard row such as revenue. The first concept that supplies an exact period and unit can determine that row. The friendly display label should not hide which taxonomy concept actually provided the amount.
Alternative concepts are not automatically identical in accounting scope. Before making a comparison across companies or periods, inspect the chosen concept and the source filing. A convenient row name does not make every possible source definition interchangeable.
Read the example’s actual concept
The Apple revenue example uses RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. The reference retains that tag alongside the value and dates instead of showing only “Revenue”. Other filers can supply a different declared concept.
When a concept changes, preserve the change and investigate comparability. Do not silently join different definitions into a growth series or claim that the lookup has reconciled all company-specific accounting differences.
Reported source example
Apple Inc. · CIK 320193 · Revenue
| Reported value | Unit | Period type | Start | End | Concept | Filed | Filing FY / FP | Frame | Source filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 416161000000 | USD | duration | 2024-09-29 | 2025-09-27 | us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax | 2025-10-31 | 2025 / FY | CY2025 | 10-K · 0000320193-25-000079 |