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Label Element Value
Prospectus [Line Items] rr_ProspectusLineItems  
Document Type dei_DocumentType 497
Document Period End Date dei_DocumentPeriodEndDate Dec. 31, 2018
Entity Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName PUTNAM VARIABLE TRUST
Entity Central Index Key dei_EntityCentralIndexKey 0000822671
Amendment Flag dei_AmendmentFlag false
Entity Inv Company Type dei_EntityInvCompanyType N-1A
Trading Symbol dei_TradingSymbol PVT
Document Creation Date dei_DocumentCreationDate Aug. 01, 2019
Document Effective Date dei_DocumentEffectiveDate Sep. 01, 2019
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Apr. 30, 2019
Putnam VT Sustainable Leaders Fund  
Prospectus [Line Items] rr_ProspectusLineItems  
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading Average annual total returns (for periods ended 12/31/18)
Supplement to Prospectus [Text Block] rr_SupplementToProspectusTextBlock
Prospectus Supplement   August 1, 2019 

 

Putnam VT Sustainable Leaders Fund

Prospectus dated April 30, 2019

Effective September 1, 2019, the “Average annual total returns” table and related footnotes in the “Investments, risks, and performance - Performance” section are replaced in their entirety with the following:

Average annual total returns
(for periods ended 12/31/18)

Share class  1 year  5 years  10 years 
Class IA  -1.28%  9.46%  14.29% 
Class IB  -1.53%  9.19%  14.00% 
S&P 500 Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)*  -4.38%  8.49%  13.12% 
Russell 3000 Growth-S&P 500 Linked Benchmark  -2.12%  9.99%  15.15% 
(no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) **       

 

* As of September 1, 2019, the S&P 500 Index (an unmanaged market capitalization weighted index of common stock performance) replaced the Russell 3000 Growth Index (a market capitalization weighted index based on the Russell 3000 Index, used to provide a gauge of the performance of growth stocks in the United States) as the benchmark for this fund because, in Putnam Management’s opinion, the securities tracked by the S&P 500 Index more accurately reflect the types of securities that generally are held by the fund. The average annual total returns of the Russell 3000 Growth Index for the one-year, five-year, and ten-year periods ended on December 31, 2018 were -2.12%, 9.99%, and 15.15%, respectively. Frank Russell Company is the source and owner of the trademarks, service marks and copyrights related to the Russell Indexes. Russell® is a trademark of Frank Russell Company.

**The Russell 3000 Growth-S&P 500 Linked Benchmark represents performance of the Russell 3000 Growth Index from the inception date of the fund, August 31, 1990, through August 31, 2019 and performance of the S&P 500 Index from September 1, 2019 forward.

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317972 8/19 

 
Putnam VT Sustainable Leaders Fund | S&P 500 Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)  
Prospectus [Line Items] rr_ProspectusLineItems  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (4.38%) [1]
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 8.49% [1]
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 13.12% [1]
Putnam VT Sustainable Leaders Fund | Russell 3000 Growth-S&P 500 Linked Benchmark (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)  
Prospectus [Line Items] rr_ProspectusLineItems  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (2.12%) [2]
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 9.99% [2]
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 15.15% [2]
Putnam VT Sustainable Leaders Fund | Class IA  
Prospectus [Line Items] rr_ProspectusLineItems  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (1.28%)
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 9.46%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 14.29%
Putnam VT Sustainable Leaders Fund | Class IB  
Prospectus [Line Items] rr_ProspectusLineItems  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 (1.53%)
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 9.19%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 14.00%
[1] As of September 1, 2019, the S&P 500 Index (an unmanaged market capitalization weighted index of common stock performance) replaced the Russell 3000 Growth Index (a market capitalization weighted index based on the Russell 3000 Index, used to provide a gauge of the performance of growth stocks in the United States) as the benchmark for this fund because, in Putnam Management's opinion, the securities tracked by the S&P 500 Index more accurately reflect the types of securities that generally are held by the fund. The average annual total returns of the Russell 3000 Growth Index for the one-year, five-year, and ten-year periods ended on December 31, 2018 were -2.12%, 9.99%, and 15.15%, respectively. Frank Russell Company is the source and owner of the trademarks, service marks and copyrights related to the Russell Indexes. Russell(R) is a trademark of Frank Russell Company.
[2] The Russell 3000 Growth-S&P 500 Linked Benchmark represents performance of the Russell 3000 Growth Index from the inception date of the fund, August 31, 1990, through August 31, 2019 and performance of the S&P 500 Index from September 1, 2019 forward.