<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2023-02-16</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001101239</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>EQUINIX INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>EQIX</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001677762</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Campbell Michael Earl</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>EQUINIX, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>ONE LAGOON DRIVE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>REDWOOD CITY</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>94065</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <officerTitle>Chief Sales Officer</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2023-02-16</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>20</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>682.56</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>16164</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2023-02-16</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
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                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
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                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
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            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
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                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
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                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
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                    <value>16144</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
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                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
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        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
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            </transactionDate>
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                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
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            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
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                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
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                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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                    <value>16124</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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            <ownershipNature>
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                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
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        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
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                <value>Common Stock</value>
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                </transactionShares>
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                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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            <ownershipNature>
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                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
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        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
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                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
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            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
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                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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            <ownershipNature>
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        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
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            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
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                </transactionShares>
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                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
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                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
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                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
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            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
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            </transactionDate>
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                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
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                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>701.8429</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
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                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>16029</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
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                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
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            </transactionDate>
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                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
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            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
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                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
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                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
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            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2023-02-16</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>143</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>721.5838</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F15"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>14441</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2023-02-16</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>722.80</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>14440</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Shares were sold pursuant to a 10b5-1 Trading Plan in order to raise funds to pay the required withholding tax pursuant to the vesting of RSUs.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price.   These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $701.53 to $702.26, inclusive.  The reporting person undertakes to provide to Equinix, Inc, any security holder of Equinix Inc, or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the ranges set forth in footnotes 3 through 15 to this Form 4.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price.  These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $703.00 to $704.00 inclusive.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price.  These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $704.09 to $705.02 inclusive.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price.  These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $709.00 to $709.855 inclusive.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F6">The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price.  These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $710.79 to $711.79 inclusive.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F7">The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price.  These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $711.85 to $712.725 inclusive.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F8">The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price.  These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $712.855 to $713.79 inclusive.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F9">The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price.  These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $713.89 to $714.45 inclusive.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F10">The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price.  These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $714.965 to $715.11 inclusive.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F11">The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price.  These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $715.99 to $716.89 inclusive.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F12">The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price.  These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $717.14 to $718.09 inclusive.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F13">The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price.  These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $718.28 to $719.11 inclusive.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F14">The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price.  These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $719.76 to $720.62 inclusive.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F15">The price reported in Column 4 is a weighted average price.  These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $721.41 to $722.0869 inclusive.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Samantha Lagocki, POA</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2023-02-17</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
