The development of dye industry makes the treatment of dye waste liquid a challenge for environmental protection. Due to the high specific surface area and rich surface functional groups,biochar has excellent performance in adsorption of waste liquid dye substances,which makes it an efficient,economical and environmentally friendly adsorption material. This paper reviewed the adsorption mechanism and influencing factors of biochar in the dye adsorption process. It was pointed out that:(1) the adsorption mechanism of biochar on dye waste liquid including hydrogen bonding,π-π interaction,electrostatic interaction,coordination and ion exchange,jointly determined the interaction and adsorption efficiency of biochar and dye molecules. (2)The factors affecting the adsorption capacity of biochar included the raw materials,modification methods and preparation processes of biochar. (3)The properties of waste liquid,such as solution pH and ion concentration,also affected the adsorption capacity of biochar for dyes. Finally,the problems in the current biochar adsorption research,such as the single research object,the process and cost,and the impact on environment,had yet to be solved. This paper provides a reference for subsequent research to promote the practical application of biochar in the treatment of dye waste liquid.