Abstract: Autophagy is a process by which cells use lysosomes to degrade their own damaged organelles and macromolecular substances to maintain homeostasis. Ischemic stroke is a kind of disease that occurs due to the interruption of blood supply in the brain region. Due to the high rate of morbidity, it is necessary to find effective drugs with wide therapeutic window and good efficacy on ischemic stroke. After ischemic stroke, autophagy is activated in many cells of the brain, yet the role and mechanism of autophagy in the pathogenesis of stroke are not well understood. This paper reviews the research progress of autophagy on the outcome of ischemic stroke, so as to provide the basis for the development of autophagy-targeting therapeutic drugs for ischemic stroke.