Number of equity compensation plans.

No definition available.

Name:	aeri_NumberOfEquityCompensationPlans
Namespace Prefix:	aeri_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Recognition Period

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	aeri_SharebasedCompensationArrangementbySharebasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOptionsOutstandingWeightedAverageRemainingRecognitionPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	aeri_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Recognition Period

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	aeri_SharebasedCompensationArrangementbySharebasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherthanOptionsOutstandingWeightedAverageRemainingRecognitionPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	aeri_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Unrecognized cost of unvested share-based compensation awards.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109197908&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Unrecognized cost of unvested share-based awards, other than options, awarded to employees as compensation.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognizedShareBasedAwardsOtherThanOptions
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Period which an employee's right to exercise an award is no longer contingent on satisfaction of either a service condition, market condition or a performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109197908&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingPeriod1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of grants made during the period on other than stock (or unit) option plans (for example, phantom stock or unit plan, stock or unit appreciation rights plan, performance target plan).

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)(iii)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109197908&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of equity-based payment instruments, excluding stock (or unit) options, that vested during the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(2)(iii)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109197908&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsVestedInPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The maximum number of shares (or other type of equity) originally approved (usually by shareholders and board of directors), net of any subsequent amendments and adjustments, for awards under the equity-based compensation plan. As stock or unit options and equity instruments other than options are awarded to participants, the shares or units remain authorized and become reserved for issuance under outstanding awards (not necessarily vested).

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109197908&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Gross number of share options (or share units) granted during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsGrantsInPeriodGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted average price at which option holders acquired shares when converting their stock options into shares.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementsByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisesInPeriodWeightedAverageExercisePrice
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted average remaining contractual term for vested portions of options outstanding and currently exercisable or convertible, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109197908&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardOptionsExercisableWeightedAverageRemainingContractualTerm1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=aeri_TwoThousandandFiveAeriePharmaceuticalStockPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=aeri_TwoThousandAndThirteenOmniBusIncentivePlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=aeri_InducementAwardPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_EmployeeStockOptionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=aeri_RestrictedStockWithNonMarketPerformanceConditionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_StockAppreciationRightsSARSMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Stock-Based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions			6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 10, 2015 shares	Oct. 30, 2013 shares	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) plan $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2017 shares	Jun. 07, 2018 shares	Dec. 07, 2016 shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of equity compensation plans \| plan			3
Additional awards granted (in shares)			1,047,134
Weighted-average exercise price (in dollars per share) \| $ / shares			$ 10.68
Options exercisable, weighted average remaining contractual life			6 years 2 days
2005 Aerie Pharmaceutical Stock Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Additional awards granted (in shares)		0
2013 Omnibus incentive plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Additional awards granted (in shares)	0
Equity awards (in shares)			10,229,068		4,500,000
Inducement Award Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Equity awards (in shares)				874,500		418,000
Employee Stock Option
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation expense \| $			$ 79.9
Weighted-average remaining period			3 years 4 days
Restricted stock
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested awards \| $			$ 21.5
Weighted-average of unvested awards			3 years 29 days
Granted (in shares)			254,216
Vested (in shares)			114,335
Restricted stock \| Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based awards, vesting period			1 year
Restricted stock \| Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based awards, vesting period			4 years
Restricted Stock With Non-Market Performance Conditions
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Granted (in shares)				98,817
Vested (in shares)			19,764
Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Granted (in shares)			100,000
Weighted-average exercise price (in dollars per share) \| $ / shares			$ 54.08
Options exercisable, weighted average remaining contractual life			4 years 8 months 24 days