CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment	HuffPost	Class A Common Stock	Class B Common Stock	Class C Common Stock	Common Stock Class A Common Stock	Common Stock Class B Common Stock	Common Stock Class C Common Stock	Common Stock Class C Common Stock HuffPost	Additional Paid-in Capital	Additional Paid-in Capital HuffPost	Accumulated Deficit	Accumulated Deficit Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Total BuzzFeed, Inc. Stockholders' Equity (Deficit)	Total BuzzFeed, Inc. Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment	Total BuzzFeed, Inc. Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) HuffPost	Noncontrolling Interests	Noncontrolling Interests HuffPost
Balance at beginning (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2020							1,540	10,439	0
Balance at beginning at Dec. 31, 2020	$ (313,803)						$ 0	$ 1	$ 0		$ 36,373		$ (346,818)		$ (3,359)	$ (313,803)			$ 0
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	24,940												24,712			24,712			228
Issuance of common stock (in shares)									3,839
Issuance of common stock	35,000								$ 1		34,999					35,000
Shares issued for acquisition (in shares)							10,000			2,639
Shares issued for acquisition	96,200		$ 26,186				$ 1				96,199	$ 24,064				96,200		$ 24,064
Stock-based compensation	23,565										23,565					23,565
HuffPost acquisition, noncontrolling interest																				$ 2,122
Issuance of common stock in connection with share-based plans (in shares)							1,921	476
Issuance of common stock in connection with share-based plans	6,975										6,975					6,975
Merger of BuzzFeed Japan and HuffPost Japan	(510)																		(510)
Disposition of subsidiaries	204																		204
Conversion of shares (in shares)							9,693	(9,693)
Conversion of shares	0						$ 1	$ (1)
Reverse recapitalization, net of transaction costs (in shares)							93,021	11,175
Reverse recapitalization, net of transaction costs	473,704						$ 9	$ 1			473,694					473,704
Other comprehensive loss	126														126	126
Reclassification of noncontrolling interest (see Note 10)	0
Balance at end (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2021							116,175	12,397	6,478
Balance at end at Dec. 31, 2021	372,587						$ 11	$ 1	$ 1		695,869		(322,106)		(3,233)	370,543			2,044
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	(201,490)												(200,957)			(200,957)			(533)
Stock-based compensation	21,605										21,605					21,605
Conversion of shares (in shares)							5,719	(5,719)
Issuance of common stock in connection with share-based plans (in shares)							4,965
Issuance of common stock in connection with share-based plans	459						$ 2				457					459
Shares withheld for employee taxes (in shares)							(472)
Shares withheld for employee taxes	(1,698)										(1,698)					(1,698)
Other comprehensive loss	633														1,265	1,265			(632)
Reclassification of noncontrolling interest (see Note 10)	2,458																		2,458
Balance at end (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2022				126,387	6,678	6,478	126,387	6,678	6,478
Balance at end at Dec. 31, 2022	194,554						$ 13	$ 1	$ 1		716,233		(523,063)		(1,968)	191,217			3,337
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	(89,322)												(88,579)			(88,579)			(743)
Issuance of common stock (in shares)							2,070
Issuance of common stock	947										947					947
Stock-based compensation	6,323										6,323					6,323
Issuance of common stock in connection with share-based plans (in shares)							4,683	0
Issuance of common stock in connection with share-based plans	29										29					29
Conversion of shares (in shares)							1,204	(1,204)
Conversion of shares							$ 1		$ (1)
Shares withheld for employee taxes (in shares)							(684)
Shares withheld for employee taxes	(451)										(451)					(451)
Other comprehensive loss	(771)														(532)	(532)			(239)
Reclassification of noncontrolling interest (see Note 10)	0
Conversion of Class C common stock to Class A common stock (in shares)							6,478		(6,478)
Balance at end (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2023				140,138	5,474	0	140,138	5,474	0
Balance at end at Dec. 31, 2023	$ 111,183	$ (126)					$ 14	$ 1	$ 0		$ 723,081		$ (611,768)	$ (126)	$ (2,500)	$ 108,828	$ (126)		$ 2,355