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First Trust Dorsey Wright Momentum and Dividend ETF Average Annual Total Returns
 12 Months Ended 18 Months Ended 60 Months Ended 88 Months Ended 94 Months Ended 95 Months Ended 117 Months Ended 120 Months Ended 142 Months Ended 144 Months Ended 161 Months Ended
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Dorsey Wright Momentum Plus Dividend Yield(TM) Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)[Member]                          
Prospectus [Line Items]                          
Average Annual Return, Percent [1]   12.97%   14.72%              
Dow Jones U.S. Select Dividend(TM) Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)[Member]                          
Prospectus [Line Items]                          
Average Annual Return, Percent   12.12%   12.43%         10.83%   10.16% 10.26% 11.25%
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)[Member]                          
Prospectus [Line Items]                          
Average Annual Return, Percent   17.88% 17.35% 14.42% 14.34% 14.42% 13.59% 15.12% 14.82% 13.59% 13.58% 13.67% 14.65%
First Trust Dorsey Wright Momentum and Dividend ETF                          
Prospectus [Line Items]                          
Average Annual Return, Percent   12.18%   13.92%         10.56%   9.35%    
Performance Inception Date Mar. 10, 2014                        
First Trust Dorsey Wright Momentum and Dividend ETF | After Taxes on Distributions                          
Prospectus [Line Items]                          
Average Annual Return, Percent   11.26%   12.64%         9.31%   8.11%    
First Trust Dorsey Wright Momentum and Dividend ETF | After Taxes on Distributions and Sales                          
Prospectus [Line Items]                          
Average Annual Return, Percent   7.18%   10.48%         7.96%   6.98%    
[1] On September 6, 2018, the Fund's underlying index changed from the Richard Bernstein Advisors Quality Income Index to the Dorsey Wright Momentum Plus Dividend YieldTM Index (the "Index"). Therefore, the Fund's performance and historical returns shown for the periods prior to September 6, 2018, are not necessarily indicative of the performance that the Fund, based on its current index, would have generated. Since the Index had an inception date of July 2, 2018, it was not in existence for all of the periods disclosed.