Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Sep. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Basis of Presentation In this report, when we refer to “Onvia,” the “Company” “we,” “our,” or “us,” we are referring to Onvia, Inc. The unaudited interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes thereto have been prepared pursuant to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, (“GAAP”), and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, certain information and note disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. The accompanying unaudited interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10 -K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 ( “2016 Annual Report”). The information furnished is unaudited, but reflects, in the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of only normal recurring items, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods presented. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year.
Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Company’s management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates include the fair value of stock-based compensation, allowance for doubtful accounts, capitalization of costs for internally developed software, recoverability of long-lived assets, including internally developed software, and the valuation allowance for Onvia’s net deferred tax assets. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ significantly from the Company’s estimates. In addition, any significant unanticipated changes in any of the Company’s assumptions could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, and results of operations.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No 2014 - 09 (“ASU 2014 - 09” ) for revenue from contracts with customers , which provides a single comprehensive revenue recognition model to apply in determining how and when to recognize revenue. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. When applying the new revenue model to contracts with customers the guidance requires five steps to be applied, which include: 1 ) identify the contract(s) with a customer, 2 ) identify the performance obligations in the contract, 3 ) determine the transaction price, 4 ) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and 5 ) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The guidance also requires both quantitative and qualitative disclosures, which are more comprehensive than existing revenue standards. The disclosures are intended to enable financial statement users to understand the nature, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and the related cash flow. This guidance will be effective for Onvia in the first quarter of 2018 and early adoption was permitted beginning in the first quarter of 2017. Under ASU 2014 - 09, revenue is recognized as control transfers to the customer. As such, revenue for our contracts will generally be recognized ratably over time, which is consistent with the revenue recognition method we currently use for the majority of our contracts. Based on our evaluation of ASU 2014 - 09, Onvia currently does not expect it to have a material impact on our financial statements upon adoption for our current product offerings and anticipates adopting the full retrospective approach. In February 2016, the FASB issued authoritative guidance which requires lessees to recognize on the balance sheet assets and liabilities for leases with lease terms of more than 12 months. Consistent with current GAAP, the recognition, measurement, and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from a lease by a lessee primarily will depend on its classification as a finance or operating lease. However, unlike current GAAP—which requires only capital leases to be recognized on the balance sheet—the new guidance will require both types of leases to be recognized on the balance sheet. This guidance will be effective for Onvia in the first quarter of 2019. This guidance shall be applied at the beginning of the earliest period presented using the modified retrospective approach, which includes a number of practical expedients that an entity may elect to apply. Early application of the guidance is permitted. The Company has determined the office lease for the corporate headquarters is the only material lease affected by this guidance. The office space lease is currently classified as an operating lease and will continue to be classified as an operating lease under the new standard, and as such, Onvia will recognize a right-of-use asset and lease liability upon adoption of the new guidance.

ONVIA INC 10-Q