Regulations last checked for updates: May 02, 2025

Title 17 - Commodity and Securities Exchanges last revised: Apr 22, 2025
§ 232.11 - Definition of terms used in this part.

Unless otherwise specifically provided, the terms used in Regulation S-T (part 232 of this chapter) have the same meanings as in the federal securities laws and the rules, regulations and forms promulgated thereunder. In addition, the following definitions of terms apply specifically to electronic format documents and shall apply wherever they appear in laws, rules, regulations and forms governing such documents, unless the context otherwise specifies:

Account administrator. The term account administrator means an individual that the electronic filer authorizes to manage its EDGAR account and to make filings on EDGAR on the electronic filer's behalf.

Animated graphics. The term animated graphics means text or images that do not remain static but that may move when viewed in a browser.

Application Programming Interface. The term Application Programming Interface, or API, means a software interface that allows computers or applications to communicate with each other.

ASCII document. The term ASCII document means an electronic text document with contents limited to American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) characters and that is tagged with Standard Generalized Mark Up Language (SGML) tags in the format required for ASCII/SGML documents by the EDGAR Filer Manual.

Asset Data File. The term Asset Data File means the machine-readable computer code that presents information in eXtensible Markup Language (XML) electronic format pursuant to § 229.1111(h) of this chapter.

Authorized individual. The term authorized individual means an individual with the authority to legally bind an entity or individual for purposes of Form ID, or an individual with a power of attorney from an individual with the authority to legally bind an entity or individual for purposes of Form ID. The power of attorney document must clearly state that the individual receiving the power of attorney has either general legal authority to bind the entity or individual or specific legal authority to bind the entity or individual for purposes of Form ID.

Business development company. The term business development company has the meaning set forth in section 2(a)(48) of the Investment Company Act.

Cover Page Interactive Data File. The term Cover Page Interactive Data File means the machine-readable computer code that presents in Inline XBRL electronic format the cover page information for specified forms as required by Rule 406 (§ 232.406 of this chapter). NOTE to definition of Cover Page Interactive Data File: When a filing is submitted using Inline XBRL, if permitted or required and as provided by the EDGAR Filer Manual, a portion of the Cover Page Interactive Data File must be embedded into a form with the remainder submitted as an exhibit to the form.

Dashboard. The term dashboard means an interactive function on EDGAR where electronic filers manage their EDGAR accounts and individuals that electronic filers authorize may take relevant actions for electronic filers' accounts.

Delegated entity. The term delegated entity means an electronic filer that another electronic filer authorizes, on the dashboard, to file on EDGAR on its behalf. Delegated entities must themselves be electronic filers and must follow all rules applicable to electronic filers. Delegated entities are not permitted to further delegate authority to file for a delegating electronic filer, nor are they permitted to take action on the delegating electronic filer's dashboard.

Direct transmission. The term direct transmission means the transmission to EDGAR of one or more electronic submissions.

Disruptive code. The term disruptive code means any active content or other executable code, or any program or set of electronic computer instructions inserted into a computer, operating system, or program that replicates itself or that actually or potentially modifies or in any way alters, damages, destroys or disrupts the file content or the operation of any computer, computer file, computer database, computer system, computer network or software, and as otherwise set forth in the EDGAR Filer Manual.

EDGAR. The term EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval) means the computer system for the receipt, acceptance, review and dissemination of documents submitted in electronic format.

EDGAR Filer Manual. The term EDGAR Filer Manual means the manual that sets forth the requirements for access to EDGAR and the procedural requirements to make electronic submissions on EDGAR. See Rule 301 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.301).

Electronic document. The term electronic document means the portion of an electronic submission separately tagged as an individual document in the format required by the EDGAR Filer Manual.

Electronic filer. The term electronic filer means a person or an entity that submits filings electronically pursuant to Rules 100 and 101 of Regulation S-T (§§ 232.100 and 232.101, respectively).

Electronic filing. The term electronic filing means one or more electronic documents filed under the federal securities laws that are transmitted or delivered to the Commission in electronic format.

Electronic format. The term electronic format means the computerized format of a document prepared in accordance with the EDGAR Filer Manual.

Electronic submission. The term electronic submission means any document, such as a filing, correspondence, or modular submission, or any discrete set of documents, transmitted or delivered to the Commission in electronic format.

Exchange Act. The term Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Executable code. The term executable code means instructions to a computer to carry out operations that use features beyond the viewer's, reader's, or Internet browser's native ability to interpret and display HTML, PDF, and static graphic files. Such code may be in binary (machine language) or in script form. Executable code includes disruptive code.

Filing agent. The term filing agent means any person or entity engaged in the business of making submissions on EDGAR on behalf of electronic filers. To act as a delegated entity for an electronic filer, a filing agent must be an electronic filer with an EDGAR account.

Header information. The term header information means information designated by the EDGAR Filer Manual to precede the text of each electronic submission and document submitted therewith via EDGAR that identifies characteristics of the submission and documents in order to facilitate electronic processing by the EDGAR system.

HTML document. The term HTML document means an electronic text document tagged with HyperText Markup Language tags in the format required by the EDGAR Filer Manual.

Hyperlinks. The term hyperlinks means the representation of an Internet address in a form that an Internet browser application can recognize as an Internet address.

Individual account credentials. The term individual account credentials means credentials issued to individuals for purposes of EDGAR access, as specified in the EDGAR Filer Manual, and used by those individuals to access EDGAR.

Interactive Data File. The term Interactive Data File means the machine-readable computer code that presents information in eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) electronic format pursuant to § 232.405 and as specified by the EDGAR Filer Manual. When a filing is submitted using Inline XBRL as provided by § 232.405(a)(3), a portion of the Interactive Data File is embedded into a filing with the remainder submitted as an exhibit to the filing.

Interactive Data Financial Report. The term Interactive Data Financial Report means the machine-readable computer code that presents information in eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) electronic format pursuant to § 232.407.

Investment Advisers Act. The term Investment Advisers Act means the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Investment Company Act. The term Investment Company Act means the Investment Company Act of 1940.

Modular submission. The term modular submission means an electronic submission that contains one or more documents, or portions of a document, submitted for storage in the non-public EDGAR data storage area for purposes of subsequent inclusion in one or more electronic filings pursuant to Rule 501(a) of Regulation S-T (§ 232.501(a)).

Official filing. The term official filing means any filing that is received and accepted by the Commission, regardless of filing medium and exclusive of header information, tags and any other technical information required in an electronic filing; except that electronic identification of investment company type and inclusion of identifiers for series and class (or contract, in the case of separate accounts of insurance companies) as required by rule 313 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.313) are deemed part of the official filing.

Original. The term original, when used or implied in the securities laws, rules, regulations or forms, includes the writing itself or any counterpart intended to have the same effect by a person executing or issuing it. If data are stored in a computer or similar device, any printout or other output readable by sight, shown to reflect the data accurately, is an original.

Paper format. The term paper format means a paper document.

Registrant. The term registrant means an issuer of securities for which a Securities Act registration statement is required to be filed and/or an issuer of securities with respect to which an Exchange Act registration statement or report is required to be filed and/or an investment company required to file an Investment Company Act registration statement or report.

Related Official Filing. The term Related Official Filing means the ASCII or HTML format part of the official filing with which all or part of an Interactive Data File appears as an exhibit or, in the case of a filing on Form N-1A (§§ 239.15A and 274.11A of this chapter), Form N-2 (§§ 239.14 and 274.11a-1 of this chapter), Form N-3 (§§ 239.17a and 274.11b of this chapter), Form N-4 (§§ 239.17b and 274.11c of this chapter), Form N-6 (§§ 239.17c and 274.11d of this chapter), and Form N-CSR (§ 274.128 of this chapter), and, to the extent required by § 232.405 [Rule 405 of Regulation S-T] for a business development company as defined in Section 2(a)(48) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-2(a)(48)), Form 10-K (§ 249.310 of this chapter), Form 10-Q (§ 249.308a of this chapter), and Form 8-K (§ 249.308 of this chapter), the ASCII or HTML format part of an official filing that contains the information to which an Interactive Data File corresponds.

Related Official Filing. The term Related Official Filing means the ASCII or HTML format part of the official filing with which all or part of an Interactive Data File appears as an exhibit or, in the case of a filing on Form N-1A (§§ 239.15A and 274.11A of this chapter), Form N-2 (§§ 239.14 and 274.11a-1 of this chapter), Form N-3 (§§ 239.17a and 274.11b of this chapter), Form N-4 (§§ 239.17b and 274.11c of this chapter), Form N-6 (§§ 239.17c and 274.11d of this chapter), Form N-8B-2 (§ 274.12 of this chapter), Form S-6 (§ 239.16 of this chapter), and Form N-CSR (§ 274.128 of this chapter), and, to the extent required by § 232.405 (Rule 405 of Regulation S-T) for a business development company as defined in Section 2(a)(48) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-2(a)(48)), Form 10-K (§ 249.310 of this chapter), Form 10-Q (§ 249.308a of this chapter), and Form 8-K (§ 249.308 of this chapter), the ASCII or HTML format part of an official filing that contains the information to which an Interactive Data File corresponds.

Securities Act. The term Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933.

Segmented filing. The term segmented filing means an electronic format document assembled from segments previously submitted to the non-public EDGAR data storage for one-time inclusion in an electronic filing pursuant to Rule 501(b) of Regulation S-T (§ 232.501(b)).

Single-member company. The term single-member company means a company that has a single individual who acts as the sole equity holder, director, and officer (or, in the case of an entity without directors and officers, holds position(s) performing similar activities as a director and officer).

Tag. The term tag means an identifier that highlights specific information to EDGAR that is in the format required by the EDGAR Filer Manual.

Technical administrator. The term technical administrator means an individual that the electronic filer authorizes on the dashboard to manage the technical aspects of the electronic filer's connection to EDGAR Application Programming Interfaces on the electronic filer's behalf.

Third party filer. The term third party filer means any person or entity that files documents with the Commission with respect to another entity.

Trust Indenture Act. The term Trust Indenture Act means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939.

Unofficial PDF copy. The term unofficial PDF copy means an optional copy of an electronic document that may be included in an EDGAR submission tagged as a Portable Document Format document in the format required by the EDGAR Filer Manual and submitted in accordance with Rule 104 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.104).

User. The term user means an individual that the electronic filer authorizes on the dashboard to make submissions on EDGAR on the electronic filer's behalf.

[58 FR 14670, Mar. 18, 1993, as amended at 62 FR 36456, July 8, 1997; 64 FR 27894, May 21, 1999; 65 FR 24800, Apr. 27, 2000; 70 FR 6571, Feb. 8, 2005; 70 FR 43569, July 27, 2005; 74 FR 6813, Feb. 10, 2009; 74 FR 7774, Feb. 19, 2009; 76 FR 71876, Nov. 21, 2011; 79 FR 57332, Sept. 24, 2014; 80 FR 14549, Mar. 19, 2015; 82 FR 14142, Mar. 17, 2017; 83 FR 40874, Aug. 16, 2018; 84 FR 12722, Apr. 2, 2019; 85 FR 26099, May 1, 2020; 85 FR 33357, June 1, 2020; 87 FR 38964, June 30, 2022; 88 FR 70507, Oct. 11, 2023; 89 FR 106222, Dec 26, 2024]
source: 58 FR 14670, Mar. 18, 1993, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 17 CFR 232.11