Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 71,543	$ 81,695
Investing activities:
Capitalization of content databases	(11,889)	(16,540)
Purchases of property, equipment and software	(20,775)	(6,444)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	(15,576)	0
Issuance of related-party note receivable	0	(10,000)
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Return of capital from subsidiaries	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(48,240)	(32,984)
Financing activities:
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	10,618	17
Principal payments on debt	(3,676)	(30,035)
Payments of Capital Distribution	39,501	19,100
Capital contribution from parent	0	0
Return of capital to parent	(39,501)	(19,100)
Intercompany dividends paid	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(32,559)	(49,118)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(9,256)	(407)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	128,157	108,494
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	118,901	108,087
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(78,980)	(64,673)
Investing activities:
Capitalization of content databases	0	0
Purchases of property, equipment and software	0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0
Issuance of related-party note receivable		0
Investment in subsidiaries	19,150	12,647
Return of capital from subsidiaries	(51,806)	(74,594)
Net cash used in investing activities	(32,656)	(61,947)
Financing activities:
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	0	0
Principal payments on debt	0	0
Capital contribution from parent	(19,150)	(12,647)
Return of capital to parent	51,806	74,594
Intercompany dividends paid	78,980	64,673
Net cash used in financing activities	111,636	126,620
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Parent [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	36,945	19,233
Investing activities:
Capitalization of content databases	0	0
Purchases of property, equipment and software	0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0
Issuance of related-party note receivable		0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Return of capital from subsidiaries	2,467	0
Net cash used in investing activities	2,467	0
Financing activities:
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	0	0
Principal payments on debt	0	0
Capital contribution from parent	0	0
Return of capital to parent	(39,501)	(19,100)
Intercompany dividends paid	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(39,501)	(19,100)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(89)	133
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	102	297
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	13	430
Issuer [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	19,709	22,309
Investing activities:
Capitalization of content databases	0	0
Purchases of property, equipment and software	0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0
Issuance of related-party note receivable		0
Investment in subsidiaries	(16,899)	(12,602)
Return of capital from subsidiaries	24,027	47,399
Net cash used in investing activities	7,128	34,797
Financing activities:
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	0	0
Principal payments on debt	(3,676)	(30,035)
Capital contribution from parent	2,151	0
Return of capital to parent	(25,312)	(27,195)
Intercompany dividends paid	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(26,837)	(57,230)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	(124)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	153
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	29
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	93,450	106,102
Investing activities:
Capitalization of content databases	(11,889)	(16,540)
Purchases of property, equipment and software	(20,772)	(6,426)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	(15,576)
Issuance of related-party note receivable		(10,000)
Investment in subsidiaries	(2,251)	0
Return of capital from subsidiaries	25,312	27,195
Net cash used in investing activities	(25,176)	(5,771)
Financing activities:
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	10,560	0
Principal payments on debt	0	0
Capital contribution from parent	16,899	12,647
Return of capital to parent	(26,494)	(47,399)
Intercompany dividends paid	(78,980)	(64,673)
Net cash used in financing activities	(78,015)	(99,425)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(9,741)	906
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	125,795	104,690
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	116,054	105,596
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	419	(1,276)
Investing activities:
Capitalization of content databases	0	0
Purchases of property, equipment and software	(3)	(18)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0
Issuance of related-party note receivable		0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	(45)
Return of capital from subsidiaries	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(3)	(63)
Financing activities:
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	58	17
Principal payments on debt	0	0
Capital contribution from parent	100	0
Return of capital to parent	0	0
Intercompany dividends paid	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	158	17
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	574	(1,322)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	2,260	3,354
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 2,834	$ 2,032

Ancestry.com LLC 10-Q