# Units & Bounds Panel

This article explains the **Units and bounds panel** in Model Reef.

You will learn:

* How to control units for a variable.
* How to set sensible bounds for manual inputs.
* How units and bounds affect validation and display.

Units and bounds help keep inputs understandable and prevent extreme or accidental entries from distorting the model.

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### Where the Units and bounds panel appears

You normally access the Units and bounds panel from:

* The Variable Editor side panel.
* Sometimes from the Driver Editor when the driver is treated as a configurable assumption.

The panel shows current unit settings and any minimum or maximum bounds that have been configured.
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### Choosing display units

Display units control how values are shown, not how they are stored.

Common options include:

* Whole units.
* Thousands.
* Millions.
* Percentages.

For example, you might store revenue in whole currency units but display it in millions for readability. Changing display units does not alter underlying calculations.
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### Setting bounds for inputs

Bounds are soft rules that define allowed ranges for manual inputs, such as:

* Minimum and maximum values for prices, volumes or percentages.
* Typical ranges for growth rates.
* Upper and lower limits for staff headcount or wage rates.

When bounds are set:

* Inputs outside the range can be flagged or rejected.
* You reduce the risk of typographical errors, such as entering 5000 instead of 50.

Bounds are especially useful when many different collaborators will be editing the model.
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### Units, bounds and validation

The panel supports validation by:

* Providing visual cues when values are outside configured bounds.
* Helping you keep related variables in consistent units.
* Making it clear to reviewers what scale each assumption uses.

Validation does not replace judgement, but it catches many common data entry mistakes.
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### Best practices

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To get the most from units and bounds:

* Set display units to match the audience, for example thousands or millions for board reporting.
* Use bounds on key assumptions that are easy to mistype.
* Keep units consistent across related variables, such as all revenue lines in the same currency and scale.
* Document any unusual unit choices with notes so they are not misunderstood later.

Good unit and bounds configuration improves both model safety and readability.
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***

## Related articles

* [Units & Display](/syntax/variables-syntax/units-and-display.md)
* [Subcategory Selection](/syntax/variables-syntax/subcategory-selection.md)
* [Payment Terms](/help/drivers-variables-and-timing/payment-terms.md)
* [Build a Capital Structure Model](/how-tos/investment-and-transactions/build-a-capital-structure-model.md)


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