Employee and Director Stock Plans - Summary of Restricted Stock Award and Restricted Stock Unit Activity (Detail) - $ / shares		12 Months Ended
		Jan. 31, 2016	Jan. 31, 2015	Jan. 31, 2014
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) and Performance Stock Units (PSUs)
Unreleased restricted stock
Unvested restricted stock units at January 31, 2015		7,801,300
Granted		4,035,100
Vested		(3,657,500)
Canceled/Forfeited		(473,900)
Performance adjustment	[1]	34,600
Unvested restricted stock units at January 31, 2016		7,739,600	7,801,300
Weighted average grant date fair value
Unvested restricted stock units at January 31, 2015		$ 48.46
Granted		52.53	$ 54.17	$ 42.37
Vested		45.61
Canceled/Forfeited		50.19
Performance adjustment	[1]	54.92
Unvested restricted stock units at January 31, 2016		$ 51.80	$ 48.46
Performance Stock Units (PSUs)
Unreleased restricted stock
Granted		400,000
Unvested restricted stock units at January 31, 2016		800,000
Weighted average grant date fair value
Equity instruments other than options, percent of target		113.80%	65.80%	92.30%

[1] Based on Autodesk's financial results for the performance period, the fiscal 2015, 2014 and 2013 performance stock units were earned at 113.8%, 65.8%, and 92.3% of the target award, respectively. The vesting of the 2013 performance stock units was subject to the holders satisfying the remaining service condition of the awards, which ended in March 2015.