Stock-based Compensation Expense Assumption Used to Estimate the Fair Value of Stock-Based Awards (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012		Oct. 31, 2013		Oct. 31, 2012
Employee Stock Option [Member]
Share based Compensation Arrangement by Share based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Method Used [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Dividend Rate (in %)		0.00%	[1]			0.00%	[1]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate (in %)		0.50%	[1]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement by Share Based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions Expected Forfeitures (in %)		7.70%	[1]
Employee Stock Option [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Share based Compensation Arrangement by Share based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Method Used [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Term (in years)		3 years 7 months 6 days	[1]			3 years 7 months 6 days	[1]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Volatility Rate (in %)		42.00%	[1]			41.00%	[1]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate (in %)						0.50%	[1]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement by Share Based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions Expected Forfeitures (in %)						7.70%
Employee Stock Option [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Share based Compensation Arrangement by Share based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Method Used [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Term (in years)		4 years 2 months 12 days	[1]			4 years 7 months 6 days	[1]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Volatility Rate (in %)		45.00%	[1]			45.00%	[1]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate (in %)						0.80%	[1]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement by Share Based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions Expected Forfeitures (in %)						7.80%
Employee Qualified Stock Purchase Plan 1998 ESP Plan [Member]
Share based Compensation Arrangement by Share based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Method Used [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value		$ 11.57		$ 11.80		$ 11.02
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Dividend Rate (in %)	0.00%	0.00%		0.00%		0.00%
Share Based Compensation Arrangement by Share Based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions Expected Forfeitures (in %)	7.20%	7.70%
Employee Qualified Stock Purchase Plan 1998 ESP Plan [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Share based Compensation Arrangement by Share based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Method Used [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Term (in years)	6 months	6 months		6 months		6 months
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Volatility Rate (in %)	30.00%	42.00%		27.00%		41.00%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate (in %)	0.10%	0.10%		0.10%		0.10%
Share Based Compensation Arrangement by Share Based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions Expected Forfeitures (in %)				7.20%		7.70%
Employee Qualified Stock Purchase Plan 1998 ESP Plan [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Share based Compensation Arrangement by Share based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Method Used [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Term (in years)	2 years	2 years		2 years		2 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Volatility Rate (in %)	35.00%	44.00%		36.00%		43.00%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate (in %)	0.40%	0.30%		0.40%		0.30%
Share Based Compensation Arrangement by Share Based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions Expected Forfeitures (in %)				7.70%		7.80%
Performance Shares [Member]
Share based Compensation Arrangement by Share based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Method Used [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Volatility Rate (in %)				34.00%	[2]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Expected Dividend Rate (in %)				0.00%	[2]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate (in %)				0.10%	[2]
Performance Shares [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Share based Compensation Arrangement by Share based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Method Used [Line Items]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement by Share Based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions Expected Forfeitures (in %)				7.20%	[2]
Performance Shares [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Share based Compensation Arrangement by Share based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions, Method Used [Line Items]
Share Based Compensation Arrangement by Share Based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions Expected Forfeitures (in %)				7.70%	[2]

[1] Autodesk did not grant stock options in the three and nine months ended October 31, 2013.

[2] Autodesk did not grant PSUs in the three and nine months ended October 31, 2012 that were subject to market conditions. In addition, Autodesk did not grant PSUs in the three months ended October 31, 2013 that were subject to market conditions.