Label	Element	Value
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	The Prudential Series Fund
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Apr. 25, 2022
PSF PGIM High Yield Bond Portfolio
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	<span style="color:#999999;font-family:Arial;font-size:14pt;">SUMMARY: PSF PGIM HIGH YIELD BOND PORTFOLIO</span>
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;text-transform:uppercase;">INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE</span>
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The investment objective of the Portfolio is a high total return.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;text-transform:uppercase;">PORTFOLIO FEES AND EXPENSES</span>
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	The table below shows the fees and expenses that you may pay if you invest in shares of the Portfolio. The table does not include Contract charges. Because Contract charges are not included, the total fees and expenses that you will incur will be higher than the fees and expenses set forth in the table. See your Contract prospectus for more information about Contract charges.
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	<span style="font-family:Arial Narrow;font-size:7pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:0.0pt;">Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)</span>
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:7.76pt;">June 30, </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:7.76pt;">2023</span>
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Portfolio Turnover. </span>
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Portfolio 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 portfolio operating expenses or in the example, affect the Portfolio's performance. During the Portfolio's most recent fiscal year ended December 31, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 48% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	48.00%
Expenses Restated to Reflect Current [Text]	rr_ExpensesRestatedToReflectCurrent	<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:7.76pt;"> Other expenses have been updated from the most recent annual report to reflect current expenses.</span>
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Example. </span>
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The table does not include Contract charges. Because Contract charges are not included, the total fees and expenses that you will incur will be higher than the fees and expenses set forth in the example. See your Contract prospectus for more information about Contract charges.The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;text-transform:uppercase;">INVESTMENTS, RISKS AND PERFORMANCE</span><span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Principal Investment Strategies. </span>
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	In pursuing its investment objective, the Portfolio normally invests at least 80% of its assets (net assets plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in medium to lower rated debt investments. Such high-yield/high risk debt investments are often referred to as high-yield bonds or “junk bonds” and are riskier than higher rated bonds.Lower rated and comparable unrated investments tend to offer better yields than higher rated investments with the same maturities because the issuer’s financial condition may not have been as strong as that of higher rated issuers. The Portfolio may also invest up to 30% of its total assets in US dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers. The Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its total assets in securities and instruments that are economically tied to emerging market countries. The Portfolio may invest in a security based upon the expected total return rather than the yield of such security.In managing the Portfolio’s assets, the subadviser uses a combination of top-down economic analysis and bottom-up research in conjunction with proprietary quantitative models and risk management systems. In the top-down economic analysis, the subadviser develops views on economic, policy and market trends. In its bottom-up research, the subadviser develops an internal rating and outlook on issuers. The rating and outlook is determined based on a thorough review of the financial health and trends of the issuer. The subadviser may also consider investment factors such as expected total return, yield, spread and potential for price appreciation as well as credit quality, maturity and risk.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Principal Risks of Investing in the Portfolio.</span>
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	The risks summarized below are the principal risks of investing in the Portfolio. All investments have risks to some degree, and it is possible that you could lose money by investing in the Portfolio. An investment in the Portfolio is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. While the Portfolio makes every effort to achieve its objective, the Portfolio cannot guarantee success. The order of the below risk factors does not indicate the significance of any particular risk factor.Bank Loan Investments Risk. The Portfolio's ability to receive payments of principal and interest and other amounts in connection with loans (whether through participations, assignments or otherwise) will depend primarily on the financial condition of the borrower. The failure by the Portfolio to receive scheduled interest or principal payments on a loan because of a default, bankruptcy or any other reason would adversely affect the income of the Portfolio and would likely reduce the value of its assets. Even with loans secured by collateral, there is the risk that the value of the collateral may decline, may be insufficient to meet the obligations of the borrower, or be difficult to liquidate. In the event of a default, the Portfolio may have difficulty collecting on any collateral and would not have the ability to collect on any collateral for an uncollateralized loan. Further, the Portfolio's access to collateral, if any, may be limited by bankruptcy laws. In addition, loan participations generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and only limited opportunities may exist to sell loan participations in secondary markets. As a result, it may be difficult for the Portfolio to value loans or sell loans at an acceptable price when it wants to sell them. Loans trade in an over-the-counter market, and confirmation and settlement, which are effected through standardized procedures and documentation, may take significantly longer than seven days to complete. To the extent the Portfolio invests in loans of non-U.S. issuers, the risks of investing in non-U.S. issuers are applicable. Loans may not be considered to be “securities” and as a result may not benefit from the protections of the federal securities laws, including anti-fraud protections and those with respect to the use of material non-public information, so that purchasers, such as the Portfolio, may not have the benefit of these protections.Covenant-Lite Risk. Some of the loans or debt obligations in which the Portfolio may invest or get exposure to may be “covenant-lite”, which means the loans or obligations contain fewer financial maintenance covenants than other loans or obligations (in some cases, none) and do not include terms which allow the lender to monitor the borrower’s performance and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. An investment by the Portfolio in a covenant-lite loan may potentially hinder the ability to reprice credit risk associated with the issuer and reduce the ability to restructure a problematic loan and mitigate potential loss. The Portfolio may also experience difficulty, expenses or delays in enforcing its rights on its holdings of covenant-lite loans or obligations. As a result of these risks, the Portfolio’s exposure to losses may be increased, which could result in an adverse impact on the Portfolio’s net income and NAV.Derivatives Risk. A derivative is a financial contract, the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of one or more underlying investments, such as an asset, reference rate, or index. The use of derivatives is a highly specialized activity that involves a variety of risks in addition to and greater than those associated with investing directly in securities, including the risk that: the party on the other side of a derivative transaction will be unable to honor its financial obligation; leverage created by investing in derivatives may result in losses to the Portfolio; derivatives may be difficult or impossible for the Portfolio to buy or sell at an opportune time or price, and may be difficult to terminate or otherwise offset; derivatives used for hedging may reduce or magnify losses but also may reduce or eliminate gains; and the price of commodity-linked derivatives may be more volatile than the prices of traditional equity and debt securities.Economic and Market Events Risk. Events in the US and global financial markets, including actions taken by the US Federal Reserve or foreign central banks to stimulate or stabilize economic growth, may at times result in periods of unusually high volatility in a market or a segment of a market, which could negatively impact performance. Reduced liquidity in credit and fixed income markets could adversely affect issuers worldwide.Emerging Markets Risk. The risks of non-US investments are greater for investments in or exposed to emerging markets. Emerging market countries typically have economic, political and social systems that are less developed, and can be expected to be less stable, than those of more developed countries. As a result, there could be less information available about issuers in emerging market countries, which could negatively affect the ability of the Manager or a Portfolio's Subadviser(s) to evaluate local companies or their potential impact on a Portfolio's performance. For example, the economies of such countries can be subject to currency devaluations and rapid and unpredictable (and in some cases, extremely high) rates of inflation or deflation. Low trading volumes may result in a lack of liquidity, price volatility and valuation difficulties.  Regulatory regimes outside of the US may not require or enforce corporate governance standards comparable to that of the US, which may result in less protections for investors in such issuers and make such issuers more susceptible to actions not in the best interest of the issuer or its investors. Emerging market countries may have policies that restrict investments by foreign investors, or that prevent foreign investors from withdrawing their money at will, which may make it difficult for a Portfolio to invest in such countries or increase the administrative costs of such investments. Countries with emerging markets can be found in regions such as Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa. A Portfolio may invest in some emerging markets through trading structures or protocols that subject it to risks such as those associated with decreased liquidity, custody of assets, different settlement and clearance procedures and asserting legal title under a developing legal and regulatory regime to a greater degree than in developed markets or even in other emerging markets.Equity and Equity-Related Securities Risk. From time to time, the Fund may purchase or hold equity or equity-related securities incidental to the purchase or ownership of fixed income instruments or in connection with a reorganization of a borrower. These include common stock, preferred stock or securities that may be converted into or exchanged for common stock—known as convertible securities—like rights and warrants.Expense Risk. The actual cost of investing in the Portfolio may be higher than the expenses shown in the “Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses” table above for a variety of reasons, including, for example, if the Portfolio’s average net assets decrease.Fixed Income Securities Risk. Investment in fixed income securities involves a variety of risks, including that: an issuer or guarantor of a security will be unable or unwilling to pay obligations when due; due to decreases in liquidity, the Portfolio may be unable to sell its securities holdings within a reasonable time at the price it values the security or at any price; and the Portfolio’s investment may decrease in value when interest rates rise. Volatility in interest rates and in fixed income markets may increase the risk that the Portfolio’s investment in fixed income securities will go down in value. Risks associated with changing interest rates are currently heightened because any increase or decrease may be sudden and significant, with unpredictable effects on the markets and the Portfolio’s investments. Changes in interest rates may also affect the liquidity of the Portfolio’s investments in fixed income securities.Foreign Investment Risk. Investments in foreign securities generally involve more risk than investments in securities of US issuers, including: changes in currency exchange rates may affect the value of foreign securities held by the Portfolio; foreign markets generally are more volatile than, and generally are not subject to regulatory requirements comparable to, US markets; foreign financial reporting standards usually differ from those in the US; foreign exchanges are often less liquid than US markets; political or social developments may adversely affect the value of foreign securities; foreign holdings may be subject to special taxation and limitations on repatriating investment proceeds; and certain events in foreign markets may adversely affect foreign and domestic issuers, including military conflict (including Russia’s military invasion in Ukraine), geopolitical developments (including trading and tariff arrangements, sanctions and cybersecurity attacks), interruptions in the global supply chain, natural disasters and outbreaks of infectious diseases.High Yield Risk. Investments in fixed income securities rated below investment grade and unrated securities of similar credit quality (i.e., high yield securities or junk bonds) may be more sensitive to interest rate, credit, call and liquidity risks than investments in investment grade securities, and have predominantly speculative characteristics.Liquidity and Valuation Risk. The Portfolio may hold one or more securities for which there are no or few buyers and sellers or the securities are subject to limitations on transfer. The Portfolio may be unable to sell those portfolio holdings at the desired time or price, and may have difficulty determining the value of such securities for the purpose of determining the Portfolio’s net asset value. In such cases, investments owned by the Portfolio may be valued at fair value pursuant to guidelines established by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. No assurance can be given that the fair value prices accurately reflect the value of the security. The Portfolio is subject to a liquidity risk management program, which limits the ability of the Portfolio to invest in illiquid investments.Market and Management Risk. Markets in which the Portfolio invests may experience volatility and go down in value, and possibly sharply and unpredictably. Investment techniques, risk analyses and investment strategies, which may include quantitative models or methods, used by a subadviser in making investment decisions for the Portfolio are subject to human error and may not produce the intended or desired results. The value of the Portfolio’s investments may be negatively affected by the occurrence of domestic or global events, including war, terrorism, environmental disasters, natural disasters or events, political or civil instability, and public health emergencies (such as the spread of infectious diseases, pandemics, or epidemics), among others. Such events may reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions or quarantines, and significantly adversely impact the economy. There is no guarantee that the investment objective of the Portfolio will be achieved.Regulatory Risk. The Portfolio is subject to a variety of laws and regulations which govern its operations. The Portfolio is subject to regulation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), and depending on the Portfolio, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the CFTC). Similarly, the businesses and other issuers of the securities and other instruments in which the Portfolio invests are also subject to considerable regulation. Changes in laws and regulations may materially impact the Portfolio, a security, business, sector or market.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">All investments have risks to some degree</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">, and it is possible that you could lose money by investing in the Portfolio.</span>
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text]	rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution	<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> An investment in the Portfolio is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.</span>
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;">Past Performance.</span>
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's performance from year to year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for 1, 5, and 10 years compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. Past performance does not mean that the Portfolio will achieve similar results in the future.The annual returns and average annual returns shown in the chart and table are after deduction of expenses and do not include Contract charges. If Contract charges were included, the returns shown would have been lower than those shown. Consult your Contract prospectus for information about Contract charges.Annual return information is provided only for Class I shares. Because all of the Portfolio’s shares are invested in the same portfolio of securities, annual returns for Class III shares would be lower because Class III shares do not have the same expenses as Class I shares.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> The bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's performance from year to year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual returns for 1, 5, and 10 years compare with those of a broad measure of market performance.</span>
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;"> Past performance does not mean that the Portfolio will achieve similar results in the future.</span>
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	Annual Total Returns (Class I Shares)
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	<span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;">The annual returns and average annual returns shown in the chart and table are after deduction of expenses and do not include Contract charges. If Contract charges were included, the returns shown would have been lower than those shown.</span>
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	Best Quarter:Worst Quarter:11.72%2ndQuarter 2020-14.21%1stQuarter 2020
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:7.76pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:3pt;">Average Annual Total Returns (For the periods ended December 31, </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:7.76pt;font-weight:bold;">2021)</span>
PSF PGIM High Yield Bond Portfolio | Class I
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.55%
+ Distribution and/or Service Fees (12b-1 Fees)	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
+ Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.04%
= Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.59%
- Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.02%)
= Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.57%	[1]
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 58
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	187
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	327
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	736
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	58
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	187
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	327
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 736
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	14.43%
2013	rr_AnnualReturn2013	7.26%
2014	rr_AnnualReturn2014	2.71%
2015	rr_AnnualReturn2015	(2.45%)
2016	rr_AnnualReturn2016	16.24%
2017	rr_AnnualReturn2017	7.80%
2018	rr_AnnualReturn2018	(1.26%)
2019	rr_AnnualReturn2019	16.33%
2020	rr_AnnualReturn2020	7.11%
2021	rr_AnnualReturn2021	7.93%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:0.00pt;">Best Quarter:</span>
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2020
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	11.72%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;margin-left:0.00pt;">Worst Quarter:</span>
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Mar. 31, 2020
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(14.21%)
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	7.93%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	7.44%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	7.42%
PSF PGIM High Yield Bond Portfolio | Class III
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.55%
+ Distribution and/or Service Fees (12b-1 Fees)	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
+ Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.04%	[2]
= Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.84%
- Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.02%)
= Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.82%	[1]
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	$ 84
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	266
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	464
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,035
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	84
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	266
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	464
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 1,035
PSF PGIM High Yield Bond Portfolio | Bloomberg Barclays US High Yield 1% Issuer Capped Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk Return Abstract	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	5.16%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	6.13%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	6.72%

[1] The Manager has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse certain expenses of the Portfolio so that the Portfolio’s management fee plus other expenses (exclusive of certain expenses as described more fully in the Trust’s Statement of Additional Information) do not exceed 0.57% of the Portfolio's average daily net assets through June 30, 2023. Where applicable, the Manager agrees to waive management fee or shared operating expenses on any share class to the same extent that it waives such expenses on any other share class. Expenses waived/reimbursed by the Manager may be recouped by the Manager within the same fiscal year during which such waiver/reimbursement is made if such recoupment can be realized without exceeding the expense limit in effect at the time of the recoupment for that fiscal year. This arrangement may not be terminated or modified without the prior approval of the Trust's Board of Trustees.

[2] Other expenses have been updated from the most recent annual report to reflect current expenses.