Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	GREAT-WEST FUNDS INC
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Apr. 30, 2018
Great-West Inflation-Protected Securities Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Fund Summary
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The Fund seeks real return consistent with the preservation of capital.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	Fees and Expenses of the Fund
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. This table does not reflect the fees and expenses of any Permitted Account. If the fees and expenses imposed by a Permitted Account were reflected, the fees and expenses shown below would be higher.
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	April 30, 2019
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance.
Other Expenses, New Fund, Based on Estimates [Text]	rr_OtherExpensesNewFundBasedOnEstimates	“Other Expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example does not reflect the fees and expenses of any Permitted Account. If the fees and expenses of any Permitted Account were reflected, the fees and expenses in the Example would be higher. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and applies whether you hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of each period. The Example also assumes that the expense reimbursement is in place for the first year, that your investment has a 5% return each year, that all dividends and capital gains are reinvested, and that the Fund’s operating expenses are the amount shown in the fee table and remain the same for the years shown. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in inflation-protected securities (“IPS”) of varying maturities issued by the U.S. Treasury (“TIPS”) and other U.S. and non-U.S. Government agencies and corporations (“CIPS”), and other instruments, including inflation-linked swaps, with similar economic characteristics. IPS are designed to provide inflation-protection to investors. The U.S. Treasury uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (the “CPI-U”) as the measurement of inflation, while other issuers of IPS may use other indices as the measure of inflation. IPS are income-generating instruments whose interest and principal payments are adjusted for inflation—a sustained increase in prices that erodes the purchasing power of money. The inflation adjustment, which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a designated inflation index, such as the CPI-U. A fixed coupon rate is applied to the inflation-adjusted principal so that as inflation rises, both the principal value and the interest payments increase. This can provide investors with a hedge against inflation, as it helps preserve the purchasing power of an investment. Because of this inflation adjustment feature, inflation-protected bonds typically have lower yields than conventional fixed-rate bonds. The Fund intends to invest in derivatives, including exchange-traded futures and inflation-linked swaps, primarily to hedge the Fund’s portfolio risks, manage the Fund’s duration, and/or gain exposure to inflation and certain fixed income securities. The Fund expects to invest in inflation-linked swaps that reference the CPI-U, as well as other measures of inflation. The remainder of the Fund’s assets may be invested in other fixed income securities, including securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies, instrumentalities or sponsored enterprises (“U.S. Government Securities”), asset-backed securities, mortgage-backed securities, corporate securities, below investment grade fixed income securities and securities issued by foreign corporate and governmental issuers. “Duration” is a measure of a debt security’s price sensitivity to changes in interest rates. The longer the duration of the Fund (or an individual debt security), the more sensitive its market price to changes in interest rates. For example, if market interest rates increase by 1%, the market price of a debt security with a three-year effective duration will generally decrease by approximately 3%. Conversely, a 1% decline in market interest rates will generally result in an increase of approximately 3% of that security’s market price. The Fund’s target duration range under normal interest rate conditions is expected to approximate that of its benchmark index, the Bloomberg Barclays 1-10 Year U.S. Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) Index, plus or minus one year. As of December 31, 2017, the duration of this index was 5.15 years.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	Principal Investment Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	The following is a summary of the principal investment risks of investing in the Fund: Counterparty Risk - A counterparty may default on its obligations to pay principal and/or interest. To the extent that a counterparty defaults on its obligations and the Fund is delayed or prevented from exercising its rights with respect to the investments in its portfolio, it may experience a decline in the value of its position, lose income and incur costs associated with asserting its rights. CPI-U Measurement Risk – There can be no assurance that the CPI-U, a measurement of changes in the cost of living, will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services, which may affect the valuation of the Fund. Credit Risk - An issuer may default on its obligations to pay principal and/or interest. A security’s value may be affected by changes in its credit quality rating or its issuer’s financial conditions. Deflation Risk – If deflation occurs, the principal and income of IPS held by the Fund would likely decline in price, which could result in losses for the Fund. Derivatives Risk - The Fund may invest in derivative instruments, including exchange-traded futures and inflation-linked swaps. Using derivatives can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when security prices, currency rates, inflation rates or interest rates are changing. The Fund may not fully benefit from or may lose money on derivatives if changes in their value do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the Fund’s holdings. The other parties to certain derivative contracts present the same types of credit risk as issuers of fixed income securities. Derivatives can also make a fund less liquid and harder to value, especially in declining markets and may increase the Fund’s volatility. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s use of derivative contracts will work as intended, and it is possible for the Fund to lose more than its original investment. Foreign Securities Risk - Foreign markets can be more volatile than the U.S. market due to increased risks of adverse issuer, political, regulatory, market, currency valuation or economic developments. Foreign Government Securities Risk - Foreign government securities may involve risks similar to those of foreign securities. They also may present additional risks, such as the ability of a foreign government or government-related issuer to make timely principal and interest payments on its external debt obligations. High Yield Securities Risk - Below investment grade (“high yield-high risk” or “junk”) bonds have a higher degree of credit risk and interest rate risk and may be less liquid and subject to greater volatility in market value than investment grade bonds. Inflation-linked Swaps Risk - Inflation-linked swaps may expose the Fund to additional volatility, can be illiquid and difficult to value, and may involve leverage so that small changes produce disproportionate losses for the Fund. In addition, since inflation-linked swaps are not traded on an exchange, they are subject to the risk that a counterparty to a transaction will fail to meet its obligations. Inflation-linked swaps involve the risk that the level of inflation and consumer prices will not be accurately predicted, which could significantly harm the Fund’s performance. IPS Risk - The value of IPS generally fluctuates in response to changes in real interest rates, which are in turn tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. If nominal interest rates increased at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in the value of IPS. The market for IPS may be less developed or liquid, and more volatile, than certain other securities markets. Interest Rate Risk - The market value of a fixed income security is affected significantly by changes in interest rates. When interest rates rise, the market value of fixed income securities generally declines and when interest rates decline, market values of such securities generally rise. The longer a security’s maturity, that is, the time remaining until the final payment on the security is due, the greater the risk and the higher its yield. Conversely, the shorter a security’s maturity, the lower the risk and the lower its yield. In general, the longer the maturity or duration of a security, the greater its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. Recent and potential future changes in monetary policy may affect the level of interest rates. Management Risk - A strategy used by the portfolio managers may fail to produce the intended results. Market Risk - The market values of securities owned by the Fund will go up and down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. A security's market value may be reduced by market activity or other results of supply and demand unrelated to the issuer. This is a basic risk associated with all securities. When there are more sellers than buyers, prices tend to fall. Likewise, when there are more buyers than sellers, prices tend to rise. Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities Risk – Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities are subject to interest rate risk and credit risk. These securities are also subject to the risk that borrowers will prepay the principal on their loans more quickly than expected (prepayment risk) or more slowly than expected (extension risk), which will affect the yield, average life and price of the securities. In addition, faster than expected prepayments may cause the Fund to invest the prepaid principal in lower yielding securities, and slower than expected prepayments may reduce the potential for the Fund to invest in higher yielding securities. Tax Consequences Risk - The Fund will be subject to the risk that adjustments for inflation to the principal amount of an inflation-indexed bond may give rise to original issue discount, which will be includable in the Fund’s gross income. U.S. Government Securities Risk – U.S. Government securities may be adversely affected by changes in interest rates or a default by, or decline in the credit quality of, the U.S. Government. U.S. Government-Sponsored Securities Risk - Securities issued by U.S. Government-sponsored enterprises (“GSEs”), such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan Banks, are not issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank, is not insured, endorsed or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency, and is subject to the possible loss of your original investment.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	is subject to the possible loss of your original investment.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text]	rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution	An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank, is not insured, endorsed or guaranteed by the FDIC or any government agency,
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	No performance data is provided because the Fund commenced operations on January 4, 2018. Performance information for the Fund will appear in future versions of this Prospectus after the Fund has annual returns for at least one complete calendar year. Updated performance information may be obtained at www.greatwestfunds.com (the website does not form a part of this Prospectus).
Performance One Year or Less [Text]	rr_PerformanceOneYearOrLess	No performance data is provided because the Fund commenced operations on January 4, 2018.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.greatwestfunds.com
Great-West Inflation-Protected Securities Fund | Institutional Class
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.33%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Shareholder Services Fees	rr_Component1OtherExpensesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_Component2OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.05%	[1]
Total Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.05%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.38%
Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	0.03%	[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.35%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 36
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	119
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	36
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	$ 119
Great-West Inflation-Protected Securities Fund | Investor Class
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.33%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Shareholder Services Fees	rr_Component1OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.35%
Other Expenses	rr_Component2OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.05%	[1]
Total Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.40%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.73%
Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	0.03%	[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.70%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 72
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	230
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	72
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	$ 230
Great-West Inflation-Protected Securities Fund | Class L
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.33%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Shareholder Services Fees	rr_Component1OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.35%
Other Expenses	rr_Component2OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.05%	[1]
Total Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.40%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.98%
Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	0.03%	[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.95%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 97
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	309
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	97
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	$ 309

[1] “Other Expenses” are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

[2] GWCM has contractually agreed to waive fees or reimburse expenses that exceed 0.35% of the Fund's average daily net assets attributable to each Class, excluding Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees, Shareholder Services Fees, brokerage expenses, taxes, dividend interest on short sales, interest expenses, and any extraordinary expenses, including litigation costs (the “Expense Limit”). The agreement’s current term ends on April 30, 2019 and automatically renews for one-year terms unless it is terminated by Great-West Funds or GWCM upon written notice within 90 days of the end of the current term or upon termination of the investment advisory agreement. Under the agreement, GWCM may recoup, subject to Board approval, these waivers and reimbursements in future periods, not exceeding three years following the particular waiver/reimbursement, provided Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses of a Class plus such recoupment do not exceed the lesser of the Expense Limit that was in place at the time of the waiver/reimbursement or the Expense Limit in place at the time of recoupment.