Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of presentation	Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by Equinix, Inc. (“Equinix” or the “Company”) and reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, which in the opinion of management are necessary to fairly state the financial position and the results of operations for the interim periods presented. The condensed consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2015 has been derived from audited consolidated financial statements as of that date. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), but omit certain information and footnote disclosure necessary to present the statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”). For further information, refer to the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto included in Equinix’s Form 10-K as filed with the SEC on February 26, 2016. Results for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire fiscal year.
Consolidation	Consolidation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Equinix and its subsidiaries, including the acquisitions of Telecity Group plc (“TelecityGroup”) from January 15, 2016, Bit-isle Inc. (“Bit-isle”) from November 2, 2015 and Nimbo Technologies Inc. (“Nimbo”) from January 14, 2015. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Income taxes	Income Taxes The Company began operating as a real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes ("REIT") effective January 1, 2015. In May 2015, the Company received a favorable response to a private letter ruling (“PLR”) it had requested from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) in connection with the Company’s conversion to a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a result, the Company may deduct the distributions made to its shareholders from taxable income generated by the Company and its qualified REIT subsidiaries (“QRSs”). The Company’s dividends paid deduction generally eliminates the taxable income of the Company and its QRSs, resulting in no U.S. income tax due. However, the Company's taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRSs”) will continue to be subject to income taxes on any taxable income generated by them. In addition, the foreign operations of the Company will continue to be subject to local income taxes regardless of whether the foreign operations are operated as a QRS or a TRS. The Company provides for income taxes during interim periods based on the estimated effective tax rate for the year. The effective tax rate is subject to change in the future due to various factors such as the operating performance of the Company, tax law changes and future business acquisitions.
Assets held for sale and discontinued operations	Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations Assets and liabilities to be disposed of that meet all of the criteria to be classified as held for sale as set forth in the accounting standard for impairment or disposal of long-lived assets are reported at the lower of their carrying amounts or fair values less costs to sell. Assets are not depreciated or amortized while they are classified as held for sale. A component of a reporting entity or a group of components of a reporting entity that are disposed or meet the criteria to be classified as held for sale should be reported in discontinued operations if the disposal represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on an entity’s operations and financial results. The accounting guidance requires a business activity that, on acquisition, meets the criteria to be classified as held for sale be reported as a discontinued operation.
Recent accounting pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted In June 2016, Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The ASU requires the measurement of all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The ASU requires enhanced disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand significant estimates and judgments used in estimating credit losses, as well as the credit quality and underwriting standards of an organization’s portfolio. These disclosures include qualitative and quantitative requirements that provide additional information about the amounts recorded in the financial statements. In addition, the ASU amends the accounting for credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities and purchased financial assets with credit deterioration. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted for all organizations for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting ("ASU 2016-09"). This ASU simplifies several areas of the accounting for share-based payment award transactions, including (a) income tax consequences; (b) classification of awards as either equity or liabilities; and (c) classification on the statement of cash flows. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-06, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), Contingent Put and Call Options in Debt Instruments ("ASU 2016-06"). This ASU clarifies the requirements for assessing whether contingent call (put) options that can accelerate the payment of principal on debt instruments are clearly and closely related to their debt hosts. An entity performing the assessment under the amendments in this ASU is required to assess the embedded call (put) options solely in accordance with the four-step decision sequence. This guidance should be applied on a modified retrospective basis to existing debt instruments as of the beginning of the fiscal year in which the amendments are effective, and is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-05, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), Effect of Derivative Contract Novations on Existing Hedge Accounting Relationships ("ASU 2016-05"). This ASU clarifies that a change in the counterparty to a derivative instrument that has been designated as a hedging instrument under Topic 815 does not, in and of itself, require dedesignation of that hedging relationship provided that all other hedge accounting criteria continue to be met. This ASU may be applied prospectively or using a modified retrospective approach, and is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) ("ASU 2016-02"). Under the new guidance, lessees will be required to recognize the following for all leases (with the exception of short-term leases) at the commencement date: (1) a lease liability, which is a lessee's obligation to make lease payments arising from a lease, measured on a discounted basis; and (2) a right-of-use asset, which is an asset that represents the lessee’s right to use, or control the use of, a specified asset for the lease term. Under the new guidance, lessor accounting is largely unchanged. Certain targeted improvements were made to align, where necessary, lessor accounting with the lessee accounting model and Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The new lease guidance simplified the accounting for sale and leaseback transactions primarily because lessees must recognize lease assets and lease liabilities. Lessees (for capital and operating leases) and lessors (for sales-type, direct financing, and operating leases) must apply a modified retrospective transition approach for leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements. The modified retrospective approach would not require any transition accounting for leases that expired before the earliest comparative period presented. Lessees and lessors may not apply a full retrospective transition approach. ASU 2016-02 is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. While the Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements, the Company believes this standard will have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements due, in part, to the substantial amount of operating leases it has. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments- Overall (Subtopic 825-10) ("ASU 2016-01"), which requires all equity investments to be measured at fair value with changes in the fair value recognized through net income other than those accounted for under equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the investees. The ASU also requires that an entity present separately in other comprehensive income the portion of the total change in the fair value of a liability resulting from a change in the instrument-specific credit risk when the entity has elected to measure the liability at fair value in accordance with the fair value option for financial instruments. In addition, the ASU eliminates the requirement to disclose the fair value of financial instruments measured at amortized cost for entities that are not public business entities and the requirement to disclose the method(s) and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value that is required to be disclosed for financial instruments measured at amortized cost on the balance sheet for public business entities. ASU 2016-01 is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2014-09”) Topic 606 and issued subsequent amendments to the initial guidance in August 2015, March 2016, April 2016 and May 2016 within ASU 2015-04, ASU 2016-08, ASU 2016-10 and ASU 2016-12, respectively (ASU 2014-09, ASU 2015-04, ASU 2016-08, ASU 2016-10, ASU 2016-11 and ASU 2016-12 collectively, Topic 606). Topic 606 will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP. The core principle of Topic 606 is that an entity should recognize revenue for the transfer of goods or services equal to the amount that it expects to be entitled to receive for those goods or services. Topic 606 requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments. Topic 606, as amended, is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods therein (i.e., January 1, 2018, for a calendar year entity). Early application for public entities is permitted only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. Accounting Standards Adopted In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-16, Business Combinations ("ASU 2015-16"), to simplify accounting for adjustments made to provisional amounts recognized in a business combination by eliminating the requirement to retrospectively account for those adjustments. This ASU is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The amendments in this ASU require that the acquirer record, in the same period’s financial statements, the effect on earnings of changes in depreciation, amortization or other income effects as a result of changes to provisional amounts, calculated as if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. The Company adopted ASU 2015-16 in the three months ended March 31, 2016. The adoption of ASU 2015-16 did not have a significant impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In May 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-07, Fair Value Measurement (“ASU 2015-07”), which permits a reporting entity, as a practical expedient, to measure the fair value of certain investments using the net asset value per share of the investment. This ASU is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years with early adoption permitted. A reporting entity should apply the amendment retrospectively to all periods presented. The retrospective approach requires that an investment for which fair value is measured using the net asset value per share practical expedient be removed from the fair value hierarchy in all periods presented in an entity’s financial statements. The Company adopted ASU 2015-07 in the three months ended March 31, 2016. The adoption of ASU 2015-07 did not have a significant impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-02, Consolidations (“ASU 2015-02”). This ASU requires companies to adopt a new consolidation model, specifically: (1) the ASU modifies the evaluation of whether limited partnerships and similar legal entities are variable interest entities (VIEs) or voting interest entities; (2) the ASU eliminates the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership; (3) the ASU affects the consolidation analysis of reporting entities involved with VIEs and (4) the ASU provides a scope exception from consolidation guidance for reporting entities with interests in legal entities that are required to comply with or operate in accordance with requirements that are similar Rule 2a-7 of the Investment Company Act of 1940 for registered money market funds. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2015-02 in the three months ended March 31, 2016. The adoption of ASU 2015-02 did not have a significant impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In January 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-01, Income Statement – Extraordinary and Unusual Items (“ASU 2015-01”), to simplify the income statement presentation requirements by eliminating the concept of extraordinary items. ASU 2015-01 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted provided that the guidance is applied from the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The Company adopted ASU 2015-01 in the three months ended March 31, 2016. The adoption of ASU 2015-01 did not have a significant impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.
Derivatives, methods of accounting, hedging derivatives	Cash Flow Hedges. The Company hedges its exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations for forecasted revenues and expenses in its EMEA region in order to help manage the Company’s exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations between the U.S. dollar and the British Pound, Euro and Swiss Franc. The foreign currency forward and option contracts that the Company uses to hedge this exposure are designated as cash flow hedges under the accounting standard for derivatives and hedging.
Derivatives, methods of accounting, derivatives not designated or qualifying as hedges	Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments Embedded Derivatives. The Company is deemed to have foreign currency forward contracts embedded in certain of the Company’s customer agreements that are priced in currencies different from the functional or local currencies of the parties involved. These embedded derivatives are separated from their host contracts and carried on the Company’s balance sheet at their fair value. The majority of these embedded derivatives arise as a result of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries pricing their customer contracts in the U.S. dollar. Gains and losses on these embedded derivatives are included within revenues in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of operations. During the three months ended June 30, 2016, gains (losses) associated with these embedded derivatives were not significant. During the three months ended June 30, 2015, the losses associated with these embedded derivatives were $2,057,000. During the six months ended June 30, 2016, the losses associated with these embedded derivatives were $8,061,000. During the six months ended June 30, 2015, gains (losses) associated with these embedded derivatives were not significant. Economic Hedges of Embedded Derivatives. The Company uses foreign currency forward contracts to manage the foreign exchange risk associated with the Company’s customer agreements that are priced in currencies different from the functional or local currencies of the parties involved (“economic hedges of embedded derivatives”). Foreign currency forward contracts represent agreements to exchange the currency of one country for the currency of another country at an agreed-upon price on an agreed-upon settlement date. Gains and losses on these contracts are included in revenues along with gains and losses of the related embedded derivatives. The Company entered into various economic hedges of embedded derivatives during the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015. During the three months ended June 30, 2016, the gains (losses) associated with these contracts were not significant. During the six months ended June 30, 2016, the gains associated with these contracts were $5,578,000. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, the gains (losses) from these contracts were not significant. Foreign Currency Forward and Option Contracts. The Company also uses foreign currency forward and option contracts to manage the foreign exchange risk associated with certain foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities. As a result of foreign currency fluctuations, the U.S. dollar equivalent values of its foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities change. Gains and losses on these contracts are included in other income (expense), net, along with foreign currency gains and losses of the related foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities associated with these foreign currency forward and option contracts. The Company entered into various foreign currency forward and option contracts during the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015.
Segment reporting, policy	While the Company has a single line of business, which is the design, build-out and operation of IBX data centers, it has determined that it has three reportable segments comprised of its Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific geographic regions. The Company’s chief operating decision-maker evaluates performance, makes operating decisions and allocates resources based on the Company’s revenue and adjusted EBITDA performance both on a consolidated basis and based on these three reportable segments.

Disclosure of accounting policy for income taxes, which may include its accounting policies for recognizing and measuring deferred tax assets and liabilities and related valuation allowances, recognizing investment tax credits, operating loss carryforwards, tax credit carryforwards, and other carryforwards, methodologies for determining its effective income tax rate and the characterization of interest and penalties in the financial statements.