Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	GREAT-WEST FUNDS INC
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Aug. 28, 2019
Great-West Core Strategies: Flexible Bond 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 to provide total return, consisting of two components: (1) changes in the market value of its portfolio holdings (both realized and unrealized appreciation); and (2) income received from its portfolio holdings.
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. In addition to the fees and expenses described below, you may be required to pay your financial professional brokerage commissions when you purchase or sell Institutional Class shares, which are not reflected in the table or example.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
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	August 28, 2020
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 generally indicates higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal period (June 25, 2018 to April 30, 2019), the Fund’s turnover rate was 17% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	17.00%
Other Expenses, New Fund, Based on Estimates [Text]	rr_OtherExpensesNewFundBasedOnEstimates	Other Expenses are estimated for Investor Class shares because the class has not yet commenced operations.
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 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 Limit 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 following is a summary of the principal investment strategies of the Fund: The Fund will, under normal circumstances, invest at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of borrowings for investment purposes) in a diversified portfolio of fixed income securities. Fixed income securities include corporate bonds, securities that have been issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities (“U.S. Government Securities”), mortgage- and asset-backed securities, and bank loans. The Fund primarily invests in investment grade securities, and may invest in securities of any maturity and of any duration. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in preferred stock and convertible preferred stock. It may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign fixed income securities; however, fixed income securities of Canadian issuers and fixed income securities issued by supranational agencies (e.g., the World Bank) are not subject to this 20% limitation. It may also invest up to 35% of its total assets in securities of below investment grade quality (“high yield-high risk” or “junk”) bonds. The Fund may also enter into mortgage dollar rolls. In a mortgage dollar roll transaction, the Fund sells securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts to repurchase substantially similar securities (the same type, issuer, term and coupon) on a specified future date from the same party. For purposes of pursuing its investment goals, the Fund may, from time to time, enter into derivative contracts, including futures contracts on U.S. Treasury securities. The Fund’s investment portfolio is managed by GWCM. Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. (“Loomis Sayles” or “Sub-Adviser”) serves as the sub-adviser to the Fund. GWCM seeks to invest in U.S. Government Securities by employing a “top-down,” or global, macroeconomic analysis of the fixed income markets, setting strategic targets to guide discussions on interest rate sensitivity and sector allocations, and then pairing these targets with “bottom-up,” or security-by-security, fundamental research to make individual investment decisions and help manage risks within each bond sector. Loomis Sayles seeks to invest in fixed income securities by focusing on good relative value based on the credit outlook of the issuer and maximum total return potential. GWCM intends to maintain a strategic allocation of the Fund’s assets with Loomis Sayles and reviews the asset allocations on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as deemed necessary. As of the date of this Prospectus, the target asset allocation is a 50% allocation of the Fund’s assets to each of GWCM and Loomis Sayles. Notwithstanding the target allocation, GWCM may change the asset allocations at any time without shareholder notice or approval.
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: Fixed Income Securities Risk - Investments in fixed income securities are subject to risk associated with changes in interest rates generally, the chance that a fixed income issuer will redeem prior to an individual fixed income security’s maturity date, and changes in the credit quality of the individual fixed income securities held. 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. 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. 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. 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. Bank Loan Risk - Bank loans often involve borrowers whose financial conditions are troubled or uncertain and companies that are highly leveraged. The market for bank loans may not be highly liquid and the Fund may have difficulty selling bank loans. These investments expose the Fund to the credit risk of both the financial institution and the underlying borrower. Bank loans generally are subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale. In addition, bank loans may have trade settlement periods extending beyond seven days. Bank loans may be structured such that they are not securities under securities laws and subject to securities laws protections against fraud and misrepresentation. As such, there can be no assurances that fraud or misrepresentation will not occur with respect to bank loans in which the Fund invests. High Yield Securities Risk - Below investment grade (“high yield-high risk” or “junk”) bonds are speculative, 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. Mortgage Dollar Roll Risk - Mortgage dollar roll transactions involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by the Fund may decline below the repurchase price of those securities. These transactions involve the risk that the portfolio managers will not correctly predict mortgage prepayments and interest rates, which will diminish the Fund’s performance. These transactions may increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. 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. Liquidity Risk - The fixed income securities in which the Fund invests may be less readily marketable and may be subject to greater fluctuation in price than other securities. When there is little or no active trading market for a specific type of security, legal or contractual restrictions on resale, or a reduced number or capacity of market participants to make a market in such security, it can become more difficult to sell the security at or near its perceived value. In such a market, the value of such securities and the Fund’s share price may fall dramatically. Extraordinary and sudden changes in interest rates could disrupt the market for fixed-income securities and result in fluctuations in the Fund’s net asset value. Increased redemptions due to a rise in interest rates may require the Fund to liquidate its holdings at an unfavorable time and/or under adverse or disadvantageous conditions which may negatively affect the Fund. Investments in many, but not all, foreign securities tend to have greater exposure to liquidity risk than domestic securities. 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. In addition, emerging markets may be more volatile and less liquid than the markets of more mature economies, and the securities of emerging markets issuers often are subject to rapid and large changes in price. Geographic Concentration Risk - Geographic concentration risk is the risk that economic, political and social conditions in a single country, a limited number of countries or a particular geographic region in which the Fund is invested will have a significant impact on the performance of the Fund. Currency Risk - Adverse fluctuations in exchange rates between the U.S. Dollar and other currencies may cause the Fund to lose money on investments denominated in foreign currencies. Preferred Stock Risk - Preferred stocks are subject to interest rate risk and credit risk. Convertible Securities Risk - Convertible securities, particularly securities that are convertible into securities of an issuer other than the issuer of the convertible securities, may be illiquid. Derivatives Risk - The Fund may invest in derivatives, including but not limited to, futures contracts on U.S. Treasury securities. Using derivatives can disproportionately increase losses and reduce opportunities for gains when security prices, currency 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. Multi-Manager Risk - The Adviser and Sub-Adviser make investment decisions independently. It is possible that the security selection process of the Adviser and Sub-Adviser may not complement one another and the Fund may have buy and sell transactions in the same security on the same day. The Adviser and Sub-Adviser may underperform the market generally or other advisers or sub-advisers. Management Risk - A strategy used by the portfolio managers may fail to produce the intended results. 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 Institutional Class shares commenced operations on June 25, 2018, Class L shares commenced operations on September 10, 2018 and Investor Class shares have not yet commenced operations. Performance information will appear in future versions of this Prospectus after the Institutional Class, Investor Class, and Class L shares have annual returns for 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 Institutional Class shares commenced operations on June 25, 2018, Class L shares commenced operations on September 10, 2018 and Investor Class shares have not yet commenced operations.
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.greatwestfunds.com
Great-West Core Strategies: Flexible Bond Fund | Institutional Class
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Redemption Fee	rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.38%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Shareholder Services Fees	rr_Component1OtherExpensesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_Component2OtherExpensesOverAssets	1.29%	[1]
Total Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	1.29%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.67%
Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	1.22%	[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.45%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 46
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	407
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	792
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,874
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	46
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	407
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	792
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 1,874
Great-West Core Strategies: Flexible Bond Fund | Investor Class
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Redemption Fee	rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.38%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Shareholder Services Fees	rr_Component1OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.35%
Other Expenses	rr_Component2OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.23%	[1]
Total Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.58%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.96%
Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	0.16%	[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.80%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 82
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	290
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	515
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,163
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	82
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	290
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	515
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 1,163
Great-West Core Strategies: Flexible Bond Fund | Class L
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Redemption Fee	rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.38%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Shareholder Services Fees	rr_Component1OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.35%
Other Expenses	rr_Component2OtherExpensesOverAssets	36.27%	[1]
Total Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	36.62%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	37.25%
Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	36.20%	[2]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.05%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 107
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	5,555
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	8,056
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	9,875
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	107
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	5,555
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	8,056
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 9,875

[1] Other Expenses are estimated for Investor Class shares because the class has not yet commenced operations.

[2] Great-West Capital Management, LLC (“GWCM”), the Fund’s investment adviser, has contractually agreed to waive management fees or reimburse expenses if total annual fund operating expenses of a Class exceed 0.45% of the Class's average daily net assets, 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 August 28, 2020 and automatically renews for one-year terms unless it is terminated by Great-West Funds, Inc. 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.