| Form N-CSR Cover | 6 Months Ended |
| Jun. 30, 2024 | |
| Shareholder Report [Line Items] | |
| Document Type | N-CSRS |
| Amendment Flag | false |
| Registrant Name | First Trust Variable Insurance Trust |
| Entity Central Index Key | 0001537395 |
| Document Period End Date | Jun. 30, 2024 |
| Shareholder Report | 6 Months Ended | |
| Jun. 30, 2024 USD ($) Holding | ||
| Shareholder Report [Line Items] | ||
| Document Type | N-CSRS | |
| Amendment Flag | false | |
| Registrant Name | First Trust Variable Insurance Trust | |
| Entity Central Index Key | 0001537395 | |
| Document Period End Date | Jun. 30, 2024 | |
| C000218786 [Member] | ||
| Shareholder Report [Line Items] | ||
| Fund Name | First Trust Capital Strength® Portfolio | |
| Class Name | Class I | |
| No Trading Symbol Flag | true | |
| Annual or Semi-Annual Statement [Text Block] | This semi-annual shareholder report contains important information about the First Trust Capital Strength ® | |
| Shareholder Report Annual or Semi-Annual | semi-annual shareholder report | |
| Additional Information [Text Block] | You can find additional information about the Fund at www.ftportfolios.com/fund-documents/VA/FTACSI | |
| Additional Information Phone Number | 1-800-621-1675 | |
| Additional Information Email | info@ftportfolios.com | |
| Additional Information Website | www.ftportfolios.com/fund-documents/VA/FTACSI | |
| Expenses [Text Block] | WHAT WERE THE FUND COSTS FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS? (Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment) Fund Costs of a $10,000 investment Costs paid as a percentage First Trust Capital Strength ® $ 1.10 % (1) (1 ) Annualized. | |
| Expenses Paid, Amount | $ 56 | |
| Expense Ratio, Percent | 1.10% | [1] |
| Net Assets | $ 133,714,071 | |
| Holdings Count | Holding | 50 | |
| Investment Company Portfolio Turnover | 46% | |
| Additional Fund Statistics [Text Block] | KEY FUND STATISTICS (As of June 30, 2024) Fund net assets $ % Total number of portfolio holdings $ % Portfolio turnover rate $ % | |
| Holdings [Text Block] | WHAT DID THE FUND INVEST IN? (As of June 30, 2024) The tables below show the investment makeup of the Fund, representing the percentage of total investments of the Fund. Top Ten Holdings Apple, Inc. 2.5 % Amphenol Corp., Class A 2.4 % Costco Wholesale Corp. 2.3 % TJX (The) Cos., Inc. 2.3 % Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2.3 % Walmart, Inc. 2.2 % Motorola Solutions, Inc. 2.2 % Moody's Corp. 2.2 % Microsoft Corp. 2.2 % Colgate-Palmolive Co. 2.2 % Sector Allocation | |
| Largest Holdings [Text Block] | Top Ten Holdings Apple, Inc. 2.5 % Amphenol Corp., Class A 2.4 % Costco Wholesale Corp. 2.3 % TJX (The) Cos., Inc. 2.3 % Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2.3 % Walmart, Inc. 2.2 % Motorola Solutions, Inc. 2.2 % Moody's Corp. 2.2 % Microsoft Corp. 2.2 % Colgate-Palmolive Co. 2.2 % | |
| C000241976 [Member] | ||
| Shareholder Report [Line Items] | ||
| Fund Name | First Trust Capital Strength® Hedged Equity Portfolio | |
| Class Name | Class I | |
| No Trading Symbol Flag | true | |
| Annual or Semi-Annual Statement [Text Block] | This semi-annual shareholder report contains important information about the First Trust Capital Strength ® | |
| Shareholder Report Annual or Semi-Annual | semi-annual shareholder report | |
| Additional Information [Text Block] | You can find additional information about the Fund at www.ftportfolios.com/fund-documents/VA/FTCSHI | |
| Additional Information Phone Number | 1-800-621-1675 | |
| Additional Information Email | info@ftportfolios.com | |
| Additional Information Website | www.ftportfolios.com/fund-documents/VA/FTCSHI | |
| Expenses [Text Block] | WHAT WERE THE FUND COSTS FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS? (Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment) Fund Costs of a $10,000 investment Costs paid as a percentage First Trust Capital Strength ® $ 1.25 % (1) (1 ) Annualized. | |
| Expenses Paid, Amount | $ 62 | |
| Expense Ratio, Percent | 1.25% | [2] |
| Net Assets | $ 5,511,339 | |
| Holdings Count | Holding | 56 | |
| Investment Company Portfolio Turnover | 79% | |
| Additional Fund Statistics [Text Block] | KEY FUND STATISTICS (As of June 30, 2024) Fund net assets $ % Total number of portfolio holdings $ % Portfolio turnover rate $ % | |
| Holdings [Text Block] | WHAT DID THE FUND INVEST IN? (As of June 30, 2024) The tables below show the investment makeup of the Fund, representing the percentage of net assets and total investments, respectively, of the Fund. Fund Allocation Common Stocks 103.3 ) % Put Options Purchased 0.0 ) % Call Options Written (5.1 ) % Put Options Written (0.0 ) % Net Other Assets and Liabilities 1.8 ) % Sector Allocation Any amount shown as 0.0% represents less than 0.1%. | |
| C000111397 [Member] | ||
| Shareholder Report [Line Items] | ||
| Fund Name | First Trust/Dow Jones Dividend & Income Allocation Portfolio | |
| Class Name | Class I | |
| No Trading Symbol Flag | true | |
| Annual or Semi-Annual Statement [Text Block] | This semi-annual shareholder report contains important information about the First Trust/Dow Jones Dividend & Income Allocation Portfolio (the "Fund") for the period of January 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024 (the "Period"). | |
| Shareholder Report Annual or Semi-Annual | semi-annual shareholder report | |
| Additional Information [Text Block] | You can find additional information about the Fund at www.ftportfolios.com/fund-documents/VA/FTDJDI | |
| Additional Information Phone Number | 1-800-621-1675 | |
| Additional Information Email | info@ftportfolios.com | |
| Additional Information Website | www.ftportfolios.com/fund-documents/VA/FTDJDI | |
| Expenses [Text Block] | WHAT WERE THE FUND COSTS FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS? (Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment) Fund Costs of a $10,000 investment Costs paid as a percentage First Trust/Dow Jones Dividend & Income Allocation Portfolio $ 1.20 % (1) (1 ) Annualized. | |
| Expenses Paid, Amount | $ 60 | |
| Expense Ratio, Percent | 1.20% | [3] |
| Net Assets | $ 870,404,638 | |
| Holdings Count | Holding | 523 | |
| Investment Company Portfolio Turnover | 72% | |
| Additional Fund Statistics [Text Block] | KEY FUND STATISTICS (As of June 30, 2024) Fund net assets $ % Total number of portfolio holdings $ % Portfolio turnover rate $ % | |
| Holdings [Text Block] | WHAT DID THE FUND INVEST IN? (As of June 30, 2024) The tables below show the investment makeup of the Fund, representing the percentage of net assets and total investments, respectively, of the Fund. Fund Allocation Corporate Bonds and Notes 48.4 % Common Stocks 46.7 % Foreign Corporate Bonds and Notes 3.3 % U.S. Government Bonds and Notes 0.3 % Net Other Assets and Liabilities 1.3 % Sector Allocation | |
| C000160832 [Member] | ||
| Shareholder Report [Line Items] | ||
| Fund Name | First Trust Dorsey Wright Tactical Core Portfolio | |
| Class Name | Class I | |
| No Trading Symbol Flag | true | |
| Annual or Semi-Annual Statement [Text Block] | This semi-annual shareholder report contains important information about the First Trust Dorsey Wright Tactical Core Portfolio (the "Fund") for the period of January 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024 (the "Period"). | |
| Shareholder Report Annual or Semi-Annual | semi-annual shareholder report | |
| Additional Information [Text Block] | You can find additional information about the Fund at www.ftportfolios.com/fund-documents/VA/FTDWTCI | |
| Additional Information Phone Number | 1-800-621-1675 | |
| Additional Information Email | info@ftportfolios.com | |
| Additional Information Website | www.ftportfolios.com/fund-documents/VA/FTDWTCI | |
| Expenses [Text Block] | WHAT WERE THE FUND COSTS FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS? (Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment) Fund Costs of a $10,000 investment Costs paid as a percentage First Trust Dorsey Wright Tactical Core Portfolio $ 0.77 % (1) (1 ) Annualized. | |
| Expenses Paid, Amount | $ 40 | |
| Expense Ratio, Percent | 0.77% | [4] |
| Net Assets | $ 51,919,127 | |
| Holdings Count | Holding | 20 | |
| Investment Company Portfolio Turnover | 21% | |
| Additional Fund Statistics [Text Block] | KEY FUND STATISTICS (As of June 30, 2024) Fund net assets $ % Total number of portfolio holdings $ % Portfolio turnover rate $ % | |
| Holdings [Text Block] | WHAT DID THE FUND INVEST IN? (As of June 30, 2024) The tables below show the investment makeup of the Fund, representing the percentage of total investments of the Fund. Top Ten Holdings First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF 10.5 % First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX ® 10.5 % First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX ® 9.9 % First Trust Mid Cap Core AlphaDEX ® 9.7 % First Trust NASDAQ-100-Technology Sector Index Fund 9.6 % First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund 9.3 % First Trust Industrials/Producer Durables AlphaDEX ® 8.8 % First Trust Consumer Discretionary AlphaDEX ® 8.5 % iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF 5.4 % SPDR Bloomberg Investment Grade Floating Rate ETF 3.3 % | |
| Largest Holdings [Text Block] | Top Ten Holdings First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF 10.5 % First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX ® 10.5 % First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX ® 9.9 % First Trust Mid Cap Core AlphaDEX ® 9.7 % First Trust NASDAQ-100-Technology Sector Index Fund 9.6 % First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund 9.3 % First Trust Industrials/Producer Durables AlphaDEX ® 8.8 % First Trust Consumer Discretionary AlphaDEX ® 8.5 % iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF 5.4 % SPDR Bloomberg Investment Grade Floating Rate ETF 3.3 % | |
| C000241974 [Member] | ||
| Shareholder Report [Line Items] | ||
| Fund Name | First Trust Growth StrengthTM Portfolio | |
| Class Name | Class I | |
| No Trading Symbol Flag | true | |
| Annual or Semi-Annual Statement [Text Block] | This semi-annual shareholder report contains important information about the First Trust Growth Strength TM | |
| Shareholder Report Annual or Semi-Annual | semi-annual shareholder report | |
| Additional Information [Text Block] | You can find additional information about the Fund at www.ftportfolios.com/fund-documents/VA/FTGSTI | |
| Additional Information Phone Number | 1-800-621-1675 | |
| Additional Information Email | info@ftportfolios.com | |
| Additional Information Website | www.ftportfolios.com/fund-documents/VA/FTGSTI | |
| Expenses [Text Block] | WHAT WERE THE FUND COSTS FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS? (Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment) Fund Costs of a $10,000 investment Costs paid as a percentage First Trust Growth Strength TM $ 1.20 % (1) (1 ) Annualized. | |
| Expenses Paid, Amount | $ 63 | |
| Expense Ratio, Percent | 1.20% | [5] |
| Net Assets | $ 12,195,545 | |
| Holdings Count | Holding | 50 | |
| Investment Company Portfolio Turnover | 61% | |
| Additional Fund Statistics [Text Block] | KEY FUND STATISTICS (As of June 30, 2024) Fund net assets $ % Total number of portfolio holdings $ % Portfolio turnover rate $ % | |
| Holdings [Text Block] | WHAT DID THE FUND INVEST IN? (As of June 30, 2024) The tables below show the investment makeup of the Fund, representing the percentage of total investments of the Fund. Top Ten Holdings NVIDIA Corp. 3.0 % Arista Networks, Inc. 2.7 % Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. 2.6 % Tesla, Inc. 2.5 % Broadcom, Inc. 2.5 % KLA Corp. 2.5 % Applied Materials, Inc. 2.3 % Amphenol Corp., Class A 2.3 % Palo Alto Networks, Inc. 2.3 % Netflix, Inc. 2.3 % Sector Allocation | |
| Largest Holdings [Text Block] | Top Ten Holdings NVIDIA Corp. 3.0 % Arista Networks, Inc. 2.7 % Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. 2.6 % Tesla, Inc. 2.5 % Broadcom, Inc. 2.5 % KLA Corp. 2.5 % Applied Materials, Inc. 2.3 % Amphenol Corp., Class A 2.3 % Palo Alto Networks, Inc. 2.3 % Netflix, Inc. 2.3 % | |
| C000138651 [Member] | ||
| Shareholder Report [Line Items] | ||
| Fund Name | First Trust Multi Income Allocation Portfolio | |
| Class Name | Class I | |
| No Trading Symbol Flag | true | |
| Annual or Semi-Annual Statement [Text Block] | This semi-annual shareholder report contains important information about the First Trust Multi Income Allocation Portfolio (the "Fund") for the period of January 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024 (the "Period"). | |
| Shareholder Report Annual or Semi-Annual | semi-annual shareholder report | |
| Additional Information [Text Block] | You can find additional information about the Fund at www.ftportfolios.com/fund-documents/VA/FTMII | |
| Additional Information Phone Number | 1-800-621-1675 | |
| Additional Information Email | info@ftportfolios.com | |
| Additional Information Website | www.ftportfolios.com/fund-documents/VA/FTMII | |
| Expenses [Text Block] | WHAT WERE THE FUND COSTS FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS? (Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment) Fund Costs of a $10,000 investment Costs paid as a percentage First Trust Multi Income Allocation Portfolio $ 0.83 % (1) (1 ) Annualized. | |
| Expenses Paid, Amount | $ 42 | |
| Expense Ratio, Percent | 0.83% | [6] |
| Net Assets | $ 17,139,700 | |
| Holdings Count | Holding | 174 | |
| Investment Company Portfolio Turnover | 20% | |
| Additional Fund Statistics [Text Block] | KEY FUND STATISTICS (As of June 30, 2024) Fund net assets $ % Total number of portfolio holdings $ % Portfolio turnover rate $ % | |
| Holdings [Text Block] | WHAT DID THE FUND INVEST IN? (As of June 30, 2024) The tables below show the investment makeup of the Fund, representing the percentage of total investments of the Fund. Top Ten Holdings First Trust Senior Loan ETF 13.3 % First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF 9.0 % iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF 7.9 % First Trust Institutional Preferred Securities and Income ETF 7.8 % First Trust Intermediate Government Opportunities ETF 4.2 % iShares MBS ETF 4.1 % First Trust Preferred Securities and Income ETF 2.5 % First Trust Limited Duration Investment Grade Corporate ETF 2.1 % Enterprise Products Partners, L.P. 1.3 % Energy Transfer, L.P. 1.0 % Sector Allocation | |
| Largest Holdings [Text Block] | Top Ten Holdings First Trust Senior Loan ETF 13.3 % First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF 9.0 % iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF 7.9 % First Trust Institutional Preferred Securities and Income ETF 7.8 % First Trust Intermediate Government Opportunities ETF 4.2 % iShares MBS ETF 4.1 % First Trust Preferred Securities and Income ETF 2.5 % First Trust Limited Duration Investment Grade Corporate ETF 2.1 % Enterprise Products Partners, L.P. 1.3 % Energy Transfer, L.P. 1.0 % | |
| C000218789 [Member] | ||
| Shareholder Report [Line Items] | ||
| Fund Name | First Trust International Developed Capital Strength® Portfolio | |
| Class Name | Class I | |
| No Trading Symbol Flag | true | |
| Annual or Semi-Annual Statement [Text Block] | This semi-annual shareholder report contains important information about the First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ® | |
| Shareholder Report Annual or Semi-Annual | semi-annual shareholder report | |
| Additional Information [Text Block] | You can find additional information about the Fund at www.ftportfolios.com/fund-documents/VA/FTAIDCSI | |
| Additional Information Phone Number | 1-800-621-1675 | |
| Additional Information Email | info@ftportfolios.com | |
| Additional Information Website | www.ftportfolios.com/fund-documents/VA/FTAIDCSI | |
| Expenses [Text Block] | WHAT WERE THE FUND COSTS FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS? (Based on a hypothetical $10,000 investment) Fund Costs of a $10,000 investment Costs paid as a percentage First Trust International Developed Capital Strength ® $ 1.20 % (1) (1 ) Annualized. | |
| Expenses Paid, Amount | $ 60 | |
| Expense Ratio, Percent | 1.20% | [7] |
| Net Assets | $ 14,768,430 | |
| Holdings Count | Holding | 51 | |
| Investment Company Portfolio Turnover | 44% | |
| Additional Fund Statistics [Text Block] | KEY FUND STATISTICS (As of June 30, 2024) Fund net assets $ % Total number of portfolio holdings $ % Portfolio turnover rate $ % | |
| Holdings [Text Block] | WHAT DID THE FUND INVEST IN? (As of June 30, 2024) The tables below show the investment makeup of the Fund, representing the percentage of total investments of the Fund. Top Ten Holdings Aristocrat Leisure Ltd. 2.5 % Unilever PLC 2.3 % Origin Energy Ltd. 2.3 % Swiss Re AG 2.2 % CSL Ltd. 2.2 % Novartis AG 2.2 % Roche Holding AG 2.2 % Muenchener Rueckversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG 2.2 % ABB Ltd. 2.2 % Thomson Reuters Corp. 2.2 % Sector Allocation | |
| Largest Holdings [Text Block] | Top Ten Holdings Aristocrat Leisure Ltd. 2.5 % Unilever PLC 2.3 % Origin Energy Ltd. 2.3 % Swiss Re AG 2.2 % CSL Ltd. 2.2 % Novartis AG 2.2 % Roche Holding AG 2.2 % Muenchener Rueckversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG 2.2 % ABB Ltd. 2.2 % Thomson Reuters Corp. 2.2 % | |
| [1]Annualized.[2]Annualized.[3]Annualized.[4]Annualized.[5]Annualized.[6]Annualized.[7]Annualized. | ||
| Shareholder Report, Holdings (Details) | Jun. 30, 2024 |
| C000218786 [Member] | Apple Inc [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.50% |
| C000218786 [Member] | Amphenol Corp Class A [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.40% |
| C000218786 [Member] | Costco Wholesale Corp [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.30% |
| C000218786 [Member] | TJX The Cos Inc [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.30% |
| C000218786 [Member] | Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.30% |
| C000218786 [Member] | Walmart Inc [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.20% |
| C000218786 [Member] | Motorola Solutions Inc [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.20% |
| C000218786 [Member] | Moodys Corp [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.20% |
| C000218786 [Member] | Microsoft Corp [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.20% |
| C000218786 [Member] | Colgate Palmolive Co [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.20% |
| C000218786 [Member] | Energy Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 1.90% |
| C000218786 [Member] | Healthcare Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 15.90% |
| C000218786 [Member] | Consumer Discretionary Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 8.10% |
| C000218786 [Member] | Consumer Staples Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 18.40% |
| C000218786 [Member] | Industrial Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 19.30% |
| C000218786 [Member] | Information Technology Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 13.10% |
| C000218786 [Member] | Materials Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 7.60% |
| C000218786 [Member] | Financials [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 15.70% |
| C000241976 [Member] | Energy Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 1.90% |
| C000241976 [Member] | Healthcare Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 15.90% |
| C000241976 [Member] | Consumer Discretionary Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 8.10% |
| C000241976 [Member] | Consumer Staples Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 18.40% |
| C000241976 [Member] | Industrial Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 19.30% |
| C000241976 [Member] | Information Technology Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 13.10% |
| C000241976 [Member] | Materials Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 7.60% |
| C000241976 [Member] | Financials [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 15.70% |
| C000241976 [Member] | Common Stock [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 103.30% |
| C000241976 [Member] | Put Options Purchased [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 0% |
| C000241976 [Member] | Call Options Written [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | (5.10%) |
| C000241976 [Member] | Put Options Written [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | (0.00%) |
| C000241976 [Member] | Net Other Assets and Liabilities [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 1.80% |
| C000111397 [Member] | Energy Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 3.30% |
| C000111397 [Member] | Healthcare Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 11.40% |
| C000111397 [Member] | Consumer Discretionary Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 3.80% |
| C000111397 [Member] | Consumer Staples Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 6% |
| C000111397 [Member] | Industrial Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 18.80% |
| C000111397 [Member] | Information Technology Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 8.60% |
| C000111397 [Member] | Financials [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 31.40% |
| C000111397 [Member] | Communications Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 5% |
| C000111397 [Member] | Unclassified Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 4.20% |
| C000111397 [Member] | Utilities Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 7.50% |
| C000111397 [Member] | Common Stock [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 46.70% |
| C000111397 [Member] | Net Other Assets and Liabilities [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 1.30% |
| C000111397 [Member] | Corporate Bonds and Notes [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 48.40% |
| C000111397 [Member] | Foreign Corporate Bonds and Notes [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 3.30% |
| C000111397 [Member] | U S Government Bonds and Notes [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Net Asset Value | 0.30% |
| C000160832 [Member] | First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 10.50% |
| C000160832 [Member] | First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 10.50% |
| C000160832 [Member] | First Trust Large Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 9.90% |
| C000160832 [Member] | First Trust Mid Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 9.70% |
| C000160832 [Member] | First Trust NASDAQ 100 Technology Sector Index Fund [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 9.60% |
| C000160832 [Member] | First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 9.30% |
| C000160832 [Member] | First Trust Industrials Producer Durables AlphaDEX Fund [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 8.80% |
| C000160832 [Member] | First Trust Consumer Discretionary AlphaDEX Fund [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 8.50% |
| C000160832 [Member] | iShares Core U S Aggregate Bond ETF [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 5.40% |
| C000160832 [Member] | SPDR Bloomberg Investment Grade Floating Rate ETF [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 3.30% |
| C000241974 [Member] | Amphenol Corp Class A [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.30% |
| C000241974 [Member] | NVIDIA Corp [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 3% |
| C000241974 [Member] | Arista Networks Inc [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.70% |
| C000241974 [Member] | Monolithic Power Systems Inc [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.60% |
| C000241974 [Member] | Tesla Inc [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.50% |
| C000241974 [Member] | Broadcom Inc [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.50% |
| C000241974 [Member] | KLA Corp [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.50% |
| C000241974 [Member] | Applied Materials Inc [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.30% |
| C000241974 [Member] | Palo Alto Networks Inc [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.30% |
| C000241974 [Member] | Netflix Inc [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.30% |
| C000241974 [Member] | Energy Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 6.80% |
| C000241974 [Member] | Healthcare Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 7.50% |
| C000241974 [Member] | Consumer Discretionary Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 14.30% |
| C000241974 [Member] | Industrial Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 7.60% |
| C000241974 [Member] | Information Technology Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 33.70% |
| C000241974 [Member] | Materials Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 6.70% |
| C000241974 [Member] | Financials [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 16.90% |
| C000241974 [Member] | Communications Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 6.50% |
| C000138651 [Member] | First Trust Senior Loan ETF [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 13.30% |
| C000138651 [Member] | First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 9% |
| C000138651 [Member] | iShares iBoxx Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 7.90% |
| C000138651 [Member] | First Trust Institutional Preferred Securities and Income ETF [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 7.80% |
| C000138651 [Member] | First Trust Intermediate Government Opportunities ETF [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 4.20% |
| C000138651 [Member] | iShares MBS ETF [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 4.10% |
| C000138651 [Member] | First Trust Preferred Securities and Income ETF [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.50% |
| C000138651 [Member] | First Trust Limited Duration Investment Grade Corporate ETF [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.10% |
| C000138651 [Member] | Enterprise Products Partners L P [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 1.30% |
| C000138651 [Member] | Energy Transfer L P [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 1% |
| C000138651 [Member] | Energy Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 8.30% |
| C000138651 [Member] | Healthcare Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.20% |
| C000138651 [Member] | Industrial Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 1.80% |
| C000138651 [Member] | Information Technology Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 3.80% |
| C000138651 [Member] | Financials [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.50% |
| C000138651 [Member] | Unclassified Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 3% |
| C000138651 [Member] | Utilities Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 5.70% |
| C000138651 [Member] | Real Estate Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 12.30% |
| C000138651 [Member] | U S Government Bonds and Notes [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 9.20% |
| C000138651 [Member] | Exchange Traded Funds [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 51.20% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Aristocrat Leisure Ltd [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.50% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Unilever PLC [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.30% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Origin Energy Ltd [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.30% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Swiss Re AG [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.20% |
| C000218789 [Member] | CSL Ltd [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.20% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Novartis AG [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.20% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Roche Holding AG [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.20% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Muenchener Rueckversicherungs Gesellschaft AG [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.20% |
| C000218789 [Member] | ABB Ltd [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.20% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Thomson Reuters Corp [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.20% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Energy Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 1.80% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Healthcare Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 8.50% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Consumer Discretionary Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 8.50% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Consumer Staples Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 13.40% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Industrial Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 37.10% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Information Technology Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 7.80% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Materials Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 4% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Financials [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 14.60% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Communications Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2% |
| C000218789 [Member] | Utilities Sector [Member] | |
| Holdings [Line Items] | |
| Percent of Total Investments | 2.30% |
