Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	AB VARIABLE PRODUCTS SERIES FUND, INC.
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	May 01, 2015
Class B Shares | AB Small Cap Growth Portfolio
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	AB VPS SMALL CAP GROWTH PORTFOLIO EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 1, 2013, THE PORTFOLIO IS CLOSED TO NEW INVESTMENTS EXCEPT THAT CONTRACTHOLDERS OF VARIABLE PRODUCTS WITH INVESTMENT OPTIONS THAT INCLUDED THE PORTFOLIO AS OF JANUARY 31, 2013, MAY CONTINUE TO PURCHASE SHARES OF THE PORTFOLIO IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCEDURES FOR THE PURCHASE OF SHARES IN THE PROSPECTUS OF THE SEPARATE ACCOUNT IN WHICH THEY INVEST, INCLUDING THROUGH REINVESTMENT OF DIVIDENDS AND CAPITAL GAINS DISTRIBUTIONS. THE PORTFOLIO MAY (I) MAKE ADDITIONAL EXCEPTIONS THAT, IN THE ADVISER'S JUDGMENT, DO NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT THE ADVISER'S ABILITY TO MANAGE THE PORTFOLIO; (II) REJECT ANY INVESTMENT OR REFUSE ANY EXCEPTION, INCLUDING THOSE DETAILED ABOVE, THAT THE ADVISER BELIEVES WILL ADVERSELY AFFECT ITS ABILITY TO MANAGE THE PORTFOLIO; AND (III) CLOSE AND/OR REOPEN THE PORTFOLIO TO NEW OR EXISTING CONTRACTHOLDERS AT ANY TIME.
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 and hold shares of the Portfolio. The operating expenses information below is designed to assist Contractholders of variable products that invest in the Portfolio in understanding the fees and expenses that they may pay as an investor. Because the information does 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 provided 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)
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 84% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	84.00%
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 and that the Portfolio's operating expenses stay the same. 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 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, 2014, there were approximately 4,100 smaller companies, and those smaller companies had market capitalizations ranging up to approximately $11.1 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 may, at times, invest 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	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 that affect large portions of the market. It includes the risk that a particular style of investing, such as growth, may underperform the market generally. CAPITALIZATION RISK: Investments in small- and mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile than investments in large-capitalization companies. Investments in small-capitalization companies may have additional risks because these companies have limited product lines, markets or financial resources. 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 less liquid due to adverse market, economic, political, regulatory or other factors. DERIVATIVES RISK: Derivatives may be illiquid, difficult to price, and leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Portfolio, and may be subject to counterparty risk to a greater degree than more traditional investments. 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. 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: 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. 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 20.60%, 2ND QUARTER, 2009; AND WORST QUARTER WAS DOWN -29.52%, 4TH QUARTER, 2008.
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	PERFORMANCE TABLE AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS (For the periods ended December 31, 2014)
Class B Shares | AB Small Cap Growth Portfolio | Class B
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
SHAREHOLDER FEES (fees paid directly from your investment)	rr_ShareholderFeeOther
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.75%
Distribution (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.34%
Total Portfolio Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.34%
After 1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	136
After 3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	425
After 5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	734
After 10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,613
2005	rr_AnnualReturn2005	4.86%
2006	rr_AnnualReturn2006	10.50%
2007	rr_AnnualReturn2007	13.70%
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(45.62%)
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	41.28%
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	36.59%
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	4.20%
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	14.73%
2013	rr_AnnualReturn2013	45.33%
2014	rr_AnnualReturn2014	(2.08%)
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	BEST QUARTER
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	20.60%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	WORST QUARTER
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(29.52%)
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(2.08%)
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	18.37%
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	8.93%
Class B Shares | AB Small Cap Growth Portfolio | Russell 2000(R) Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 YEAR	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	5.60%
5 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	16.80%
10 YEARS	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	8.54%