Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Consolidation	The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Rackspace Hosting, Inc. and our wholly-owned subsidiaries, which include, among others, Rackspace US, Inc., our domestic operating entity, and Rackspace Limited, our United Kingdom operating entity. Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.
Foreign Currency Translation	Foreign currency translation adjustments arising from differences in exchange rates from period to period are included in the foreign currency translation adjustment account in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). There were no income taxes allocated to foreign currency translation adjustments during the three months ended March 31, 2014 or 2015.
Basis of Accounting	The accompanying consolidated financial statements as of March 31, 2015, and for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015, are unaudited and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all financial information and disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements, and certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted. These unaudited interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto as of December 31, 2014 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 2, 2015 (the "2014 Annual Consolidated Financial Statements"). The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the 2014 Annual Consolidated Financial Statements and, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments, which include normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair statement of our financial position as of March 31, 2015, our results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015, and our cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2014 and 2015. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2015, or for any other interim period, or for any other future year.
Use of Estimates	The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to accounts receivable and customer credits, property and equipment, fair values of intangible assets and goodwill, useful lives of intangible assets, fair value of share-based compensation, contingencies, and income taxes, among others. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ from our estimates.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued guidance to clarify principles for recognizing revenue and to develop a common revenue standard for GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In addition, the standard requires capitalization of incremental costs to obtain a contract and significantly expanded quantitative and qualitative disclosures. The standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, however, the FASB has proposed a one year deferral of the effective date. If this proposal is approved, early adoption would be permitted as of the original effective date. Upon adoption, the new guidance will be applied retrospectively using one of two methods. One method is to apply the guidance retrospectively to each prior period presented with practical expedients available. The second method is to apply the guidance retrospectively with the cumulative effect of initially applying the standard recognized at the date of initial application. We are evaluating the impact on our consolidated financial statements of adopting this new accounting standard.
Real Estate Held for Development and Sale	We have entered into multiple complex real estate development and build-to-suit lease arrangements with independent real estate developers to design, construct and lease certain real estate projects. While the independent developers legally own the real estate projects and must finance the overall construction, we agreed to fund certain structural improvements and/or retain obligations related to certain potential construction cost overruns. As a result of our involvement during the construction period, we are considered the owner of the construction project, for accounting purposes only. We have recorded construction costs for these projects as an asset and a corresponding long-term liability within "Property and equipment, net" and "Finance lease obligations for build-to-suit leases," respectively, on our consolidated balance sheets. When construction of a project is complete, we evaluate whether the build-to-suit lease arrangement qualifies for sales recognition under sale-leaseback accounting guidance. If the lease meets the criteria to qualify as a sale-leaseback, the asset and liability can be derecognized and the lease is accounted for as an operating lease with rent expense recognized over the lease term. If the sale-leaseback criteria are not met, the asset and liability remain on our consolidated balance sheets. The asset is then depreciated over the term of the lease and rental payments under the lease are recorded as a reduction of the liability and interest expense.
Contingencies	We have contingent liabilities resulting from various litigation, claims and commitments. We record accruals for loss contingencies when losses are considered probable and can be reasonably estimated. The amount that will ultimately be paid related to these matters may differ from the recorded accruals, and the timing of such payments is uncertain.

Disclosure of accounting policy regarding (1) the principles it follows in consolidating or combining the separate financial statements, including the principles followed in determining the inclusion or exclusion of subsidiaries or other entities in the consolidated or combined financial statements and (2) its treatment of interests (for example, common stock, a partnership interest or other means of exerting influence) in other entities, for example consolidation or use of the equity or cost methods of accounting. The accounting policy may also address the accounting treatment for intercompany accounts and transactions, noncontrolling interest, and the income statement treatment in consolidation for issuances of stock by a subsidiary.

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