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Stock-Based Compensation Expense - Stock-Based Compensation Expense (Detail) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]      
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition 1 year 6 months 30 days    
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]      
Stock-based compensation expense $ 15,158,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense $ 10,620,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense $ 8,520,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
Income tax benefit recognized related to stock-based compensation expense 4,977,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitFromCompensationExpense 3,482,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitFromCompensationExpense 2,772,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitFromCompensationExpense
Compensation expense capitalized 0cgnx_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount 0cgnx_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount 0cgnx_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationRecognizedPeriodCostsCapitalizedAmount
Product cost of revenue [Member]      
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]      
Stock-based compensation expense 1,033,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= cgnx_ProductCostOfRevenueMember
747,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= cgnx_ProductCostOfRevenueMember
581,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= cgnx_ProductCostOfRevenueMember
Service cost of revenue [Member]      
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]      
Stock-based compensation expense 171,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= cgnx_ServiceCostOfRevenueMember
177,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= cgnx_ServiceCostOfRevenueMember
161,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= cgnx_ServiceCostOfRevenueMember
Research, development, and engineering expenses      
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]      
Stock-based compensation expense 3,832,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpenseMember
2,585,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpenseMember
2,149,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpenseMember
Selling, general, and administrative [Member]      
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]      
Stock-based compensation expense $ 10,122,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= cgnx_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeMember
$ 7,111,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= cgnx_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeMember
$ 5,629,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= cgnx_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeMember