Plan Description (Details) - 401(k) SP	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2025 USD ($) year loan h	Dec. 31, 2024 USD ($)
EBP, Description of Plan [Line Items]
Catch -up contribution, minimum age	50 years
Participant compensation matched, percentage	6.00%
Employer contributions receivable	$ 217,813,000	$ 220,978,000
Default investment election, target age \| year	65
Automatic deferral rate, annual increase	1.00%
Forfeited and available to pay administrative expenses	$ 3,500,000
Minimum borrowing amount	1,000
Maximum borrowing amount	$ 50,000
Maximum borrowing, to total account, percentage	50.00%
Prime rate percentage	1.00%
Number of outstanding loans allowed \| loan	2
General loan, borrowing term	5 years
EBP, Qualified Non-Elective Contributions
EBP, Description of Plan [Line Items]
Service period \| h	1,000
Employer contributions receivable	$ 192,800,000	$ 192,600,000
Vesting period	3 years
Vesting percentage	100.00%
EBP, Qualified Non-Elective Contributions, Type Two
EBP, Description of Plan [Line Items]
Employer non-elective contribution rate	3.00%
44 or less \| EBP, Qualified Non-Elective Contributions, Type One
EBP, Description of Plan [Line Items]
Employer non-elective contribution rate	3.00%
45 to 64 \| EBP, Qualified Non-Elective Contributions, Type One
EBP, Description of Plan [Line Items]
Employer non-elective contribution rate	4.00%
65 or more \| EBP, Qualified Non-Elective Contributions, Type One
EBP, Description of Plan [Line Items]
Employer non-elective contribution rate	5.00%
Maximum
EBP, Description of Plan [Line Items]
Matching percentage	100.00%
Automatic contribution rate	15.00%
Minimum
EBP, Description of Plan [Line Items]
Matching percentage	50.00%
Automatic contribution rate	6.00%

EBP, Catch -up Contribution, Minimum Age

No definition available.

Name:	cat_EBPCatchUpContributionMinimumAge
Namespace Prefix:	cat_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

EBP, Employer Contribution, Annual Fixed Rate Contribution, Percentage

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cat_EBPEmployerContributionAnnualFixedRateContributionPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	cat_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Company contribution and/ or investment earning percentage vesting to the participant in Company Matching Contributions, Fixed Rate Contributions, Discretionary Profit-Sharing Contributions, Qualified Non-Elective Contributions, and Disability Contributions, upon completion of minimum service period or attainment of maximum vesting age

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cat_EBPEmployerContributionVestingPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	cat_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Minimum Vesting service period for company contribution and/ or investment earning to the participant in Company Matching Contributions, Fixed Rate Contributions, Discretionary Profit-Sharing Contributions, Qualified Non-Elective Contributions, and Disability Contributions.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cat_EBPEmployerContributionVestingServicePeriod
Namespace Prefix:	cat_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

EBP, Note Receivable From Participant, General Loan, Maximum Borrowing Term

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cat_EBPNoteReceivableFromParticipantGeneralLoanMaximumBorrowingTerm
Namespace Prefix:	cat_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

EBP, Note Receivable from Participant, Number Of Loans Allowed

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cat_EBPNoteReceivableFromParticipantNumberOfLoansAllowed
Namespace Prefix:	cat_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Annual increase in percentage of eligible compensation contributed for participant automatically enrolled in employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)) until the contribution reaches maximum threshold.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cat_EBPParticipantContributionAutomaticAnnualIncreaseDeferralRate
Namespace Prefix:	cat_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

EBP, Participant Loan, Basis Spread On Variable Rate

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cat_EBPParticipantLoanBasisSpreadOnVariableRate
Namespace Prefix:	cat_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

EBP, Requisite Service Hours

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cat_EBPRequisiteServiceHours
Namespace Prefix:	cat_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

EPB, Default Investment Election, Target Age

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cat_EPBDefaultInvestmentElectionTargetAge
Namespace Prefix:	cat_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 962
-SubTopic 205
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147478416/962-205-50-1

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanDescriptionOfPlanLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap-ebp_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of employer matching contribution on eligible participant contribution to employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanEmployerContributionMatchingPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap-ebp_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of participant compensation eligible for employer matching contribution for participant in employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanEmployerContributionParticipantCompensationMatchedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap-ebp_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of contribution receivable from employer of participant in employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Topic 962
-SubTopic 325
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 55
-Paragraph 17
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147478873/962-325-55-17

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 962
-SubTopic 205
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.6A-05(a)(Schedule II))
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147477804/962-205-S99-1

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 962
-SubTopic 310
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147478642/962-310-45-1

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanEmployerContributionReceivable
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap-ebp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of decrease in forfeited nonvested account of employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)) from administrative expense.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 962
-SubTopic 205
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (j)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147478416/962-205-50-1

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 962
-SubTopic 205
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.6A-04(5)(c))
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147477804/962-205-S99-1

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanForfeitedNonvestedAccountDecreaseForAdministrativeExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap-ebp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of maximum account balance that participant in employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)) can borrow.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanNoteReceivableFromParticipantAccountMaximumBorrowingAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap-ebp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of maximum account balance that participant in employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)) can borrow to total participant account balance.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanNoteReceivableFromParticipantAccountMaximumBorrowingToTotalAccountPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap-ebp_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of minimum account balance that participant in employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)) can borrow.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanNoteReceivableFromParticipantAccountMinimumBorrowingAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap-ebp_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of eligible compensation contributed for participant automatically enrolled in employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanParticipantContributionAutomaticDeferralRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap-ebp_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=cat_EBP035Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	cat_EBPEmployerContributionTypeAxis=cat_EBPQualifiedNonElectiveContributionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	cat_EBPEmployerContributionTypeAxis=cat_EBPQualifiedNonElectiveContributionsTypeTwoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	cat_EBPEmployerContributionPointsAxis=cat_EBPEmployerContribution44PointsOrLessMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	cat_EBPEmployerContributionTypeAxis=cat_EBPQualifiedNonElectiveContributionsTypeOneMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	cat_EBPEmployerContributionPointsAxis=cat_EBPEmployerContribution45To64PointsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	cat_EBPEmployerContributionPointsAxis=cat_EBPEmployerContribution65PointsOrMoreMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: