Employee and Director Stock Plans - Schedule Of Share-based Compensation Options Activity (Detail) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares shares
Number of Shares
Options outstanding (in shares) | shares	1.6
Exercised (in shares) | shares	(1.0)
Options outstanding (in shares) | shares	0.6
Options available for grant (in shares) | shares	13.3
Weighted average price per share
Options outstanding, beginning balance (per share) | $ / shares	$ 37.06
Exercised (per share) | $ / shares	35.85
Options outstanding, ending balance (per share) | $ / shares	$ 39.25
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Options outstanding, Weighted average contractual term	3 years 1 month 20 days
Options outstanding, Aggregate Intrinsic Value | $	$ 25.8	[1]
Closing stock price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 81.34

[1] presents the total pre-tax intrinsic value, based on Autodesk’s closing stock price of $81.34 per share as of January 31, 2017, which would have been received by the option holders had all option holders exercised their options as of that date.