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Class A Shares | AB Small Cap Growth Portfolio  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading AB VPS Small Cap Growth Portfolio
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock
The Portfolio’s investment objective is long-term growth of capital.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE PORTFOLIO
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Portfolio. The table and Examples below do not reflect deductions at the separate account level or contract level for any charges that may be incurred under a contract. Contractholders that invest in the Portfolio should refer to the variable contract prospectus for a description of fees and expenses that apply to Contractholders. Inclusion of these charges would increase the fees and expenses in the Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses table and Examples below.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual Portfolio 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 May 1, 2023
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock
The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys or sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These transaction costs, which are not reflected in the Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses or in the Examples, affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio’s portfolio turnover rate was 67% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 67.00%
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Examples
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock
The Examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Examples assume 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 Examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Portfolio’s operating expenses stay the same and that any fee waiver and/or expense limitation is in effect for only the first year. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
 
 
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock
The Portfolio invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity securities of issuers with relatively smaller capitalizations as compared to the overall U.S. market. Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities
  
of smaller companies. For these purposes, “smaller companies” are those that, at the time of investment, fall within the lowest 20% of the total U.S. equity market capitalization (excluding, for purposes of this calculation, companies with market capitalizations of less than $10 million). As of December 31, 2021, there were approximately 3,340 smaller companies, and those smaller companies had market capitalizations ranging up to approximately $24.1 billion. Because the Portfolio’s definition of smaller companies is dynamic, the limits on market capitalization will change with the markets. 
The Portfolio may invest in any company and industry and in any type of equity security with potential for capital appreciation. It invests in well-known and established companies and in new and less-seasoned companies. The Portfolio’s investment policies emphasize investments in companies that are demonstrating improving financial results and a favorable earnings outlook. The Portfolio may invest in foreign securities. 
When selecting securities, the Adviser typically looks for companies that have strong, experienced management teams, strong market positions, and the potential to support greater than expected earnings growth rates. In making specific investment decisions for the Portfolio, the Adviser combines fundamental and quantitative analysis in its stock selection process. The Portfolio may periodically invest in the securities of companies that are expected to appreciate due to a development particularly or uniquely applicable to that company regardless of general business conditions or movements of the market as a whole. 
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities but may also invest in other types of securities, such as preferred stocks. The Portfolio invests, at times, in shares of exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, in lieu of making direct investments in securities. ETFs may provide more efficient and economical exposure to the types of companies and geographic locations in which the Portfolio seeks to invest than direct investments. The Portfolio may also invest up to 20% of its total assets in rights or warrants. 
The Portfolio may enter into derivatives transactions, such as options, futures contracts, forwards and swaps. The Portfolio may use options strategies involving the purchase and/or writing of various combinations of call and/or put options, including on individual securities and stock indices, futures contracts (including futures contracts on individual securities and stock indices) or shares of ETFs. These transactions may be used, for example, in an effort to earn extra income, to adjust exposure to individual securities or markets, or to protect all or a portion of the Portfolio’s portfolio from a decline in value, sometimes within certain ranges. 
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading PRINCIPAL RISKS
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock
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Market Risk: The value of the Portfolio’s assets will fluctuate as the stock or bond market fluctuates. The value of its investments may decline, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, simply because of economic changes or other events, including public health crises (including the occurrence of a contagious disease or illness) and regional and global conflicts, that affect large portions of the market. It includes the risk that a particular style of investing, such as the Portfolio’s growth approach, may underperform the market generally. 
•  
Sector Risk: The Portfolio may have more risk than a more diversified portfolio because it may invest to a significant extent in one or more particular market sectors, such as the information technology or health care sector. To the extent it does so, market or economic factors affecting the relevant sector(s) could have a major effect on the value of the Portfolio’s investments. 
•  
Capitalization Risk: Investments in small- and mid‑capitalization companies may be more volatile than investments in large-capitalization companies. Investments in small- and mid‑capitalization companies may have additional risks because these companies have limited product lines, markets or financial resources. 
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Foreign (Non‑U.S.) Risk: Investments in securities of non‑U.S. issuers may involve more risk than those of U.S. issuers. These securities may fluctuate more widely in price and may be more difficult to trade due to adverse market, economic, political, regulatory or other factors. 
•  
Management Risk: The Portfolio is subject to management risk because it is an actively-managed investment fund. The Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Portfolio, but there is no guarantee that its techniques will produce the intended results. Some of these techniques may incorporate, or rely upon, quantitative models, but there is no guarantee that these models will generate accurate forecasts, reduce risk or otherwise perform as expected. 
As with all investments, you may lose money by investing in the Portfolio.
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney As with all investments, you may lose money by investing in the Portfolio.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading BAR CHART AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock
The bar chart and performance information provide an indication of the historical risk of an investment in the Portfolio by showing:
  
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how the Portfolio’s performance changed from year to year over ten years; and
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how the Portfolio’s average annual returns for one, five and ten years compare to those of a broad-based securities market index.
The performance information does not take into account separate account charges. If separate account charges were included, an investor’s return would be lower. The Portfolio’s past performance, of course, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future. 
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns how the Portfolio’s performance changed from year to year over ten years; and how the Portfolio’s average annual returns for one, five and ten years compare to those of a broad-based securities market index.
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture The Portfolio’s past performance, of course, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Bar Chart
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text] rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads The performance information does not take into account separate account charges. If separate account charges were included, an investor’s return would be lower.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock Calendar Year End (%) During the period shown in the bar chart, the Portfolio’s: Best Quarter was up 37.48%, 2nd quarter, 2020; and Worst Quarter was down -22.38%, 4th quarter, 2018.
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading Performance Table Average Annual Total Returns (For the periods ended December 31, 2021)
Class A Shares | AB Small Cap Growth Portfolio | Class A  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) rr_ShareholderFeeOther
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.75%
Other Expenses: Transfer Agent rr_Component1OtherExpensesOverAssets none [1]
Other Expenses: Interest Expense rr_Component2OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.01%
Other Expenses rr_Component3OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.32%
Total Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.33%
Total Portfolio Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 1.08%
Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets (0.17%) [2]
Total Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement rr_NetExpensesOverAssets 0.91% [3]
After 1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 $ 93
After 3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 327
After 5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 579
After 10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 $ 1,302
2012 rr_AnnualReturn2012 15.02%
2013 rr_AnnualReturn2013 45.66%
2014 rr_AnnualReturn2014 (1.81%)
2015 rr_AnnualReturn2015 (1.25%)
2016 rr_AnnualReturn2016 6.46%
2017 rr_AnnualReturn2017 34.12%
2018 rr_AnnualReturn2018 (0.89%)
2019 rr_AnnualReturn2019 36.40%
2020 rr_AnnualReturn2020 53.98%
2021 rr_AnnualReturn2021 9.46%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Best Quarter
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Jun. 30, 2020
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 37.48%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Worst Quarter
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2018
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (22.38%)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 9.46%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 25.03%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 18.12%
Class A Shares | AB Small Cap Growth Portfolio | Russell 2000® Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 2.83%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 14.53%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 14.14%
[1] Amount is less than .01%.
[2]
The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its management fee and/or to bear certain expenses of the Portfolio through May 1, 2023 to the extent necessary to prevent total Portfolio operating expenses (excluding expenses associated with acquired fund fees and expenses other than the advisory fees of any AB Mutual Funds in which the Portfolio may invest, interest expense, taxes, extraordinary expenses, and brokerage commissions and other transaction costs), on an annualized basis, from exceeding .90% of average daily net assets. The fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement agreement may only be terminated or changed with the consent of the Portfolio’s Board of Directors. In addition, the agreement will be automatically extended for one‑year terms unless the Adviser provides notice of termination to the Portfolio at least 60 days prior to the end of the period.
[3]
If interest expense were excluded, Total Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement would be .90%.