Abstract：Objective：To analyze the research hotspots and cutting-edge trends of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)， and to discuss the research constraints and make recommendations accordingly. Methods： The literatures related to the treatment of SLE with TCM from January 2000 to January 2024 were searched from CNKI， VIP， and WanFang Data databases. CiteSpace 5.8. R3 software was used for visualization analysis of the number of publications， authors，institutions，and keywords. Results：A total of 2 508 literature were included，with the number of annual publications slowly increasing and then gradually decreasing. Three major center teams have been formed in the field of treating SLE with TCM： Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang) represented by FAN Yongsheng， Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Guangdong) represented by XUAN Guowei， and Shanghai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Longhua Hospital Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Shanghai) represented by SU Xiao and SU Li. Keyword frequency statistics and co-occurrence maps showed that lupus nephritis was the hottest complication studied； the yin deficiency with internal heat syndrome is the most popular syndrome；Jiedu Quyu Ziyin Prescription is the most frequently studied prescription. A total of 12 cluster labels were formed in the keyword clustering analysis， reflecting that the main study hotspots in this field are the mechanism of action and clinical efficacy of TCM，lupus nephritis，guiding the syndrome differentiation from the molecular level，and the experience of medical practitioners. The emergent analysis suggested that the focus of mechanism research has shifted from apoptosis to cytokines and signaling pathways that regulate lymphocyte proliferation and differentiation， and the focus of clinical research has expanded from pure efficacy validation to clinical efficacy，safety，immune function，and adverse drug reactions. The center of research has been migrating from traditional theoretical study to clinical and experimental research to big data mining. Conclusion：The output of research achievements in the field of TCM treatment of SLE needs to be improved； the systematicity and continuity of research need to be strengthened；there are fewer breakthrough points for now. In the future， there is a need to strengthen the cooperation between institutions and authors， and interdisciplinary cooperation， and to explore the breakthrough points from clinical practice to carry out higher-quality research.