Gastric cancer (GC) is a prevalent malignant tumor that originates from the epithelial cells of the gastric mucosa, predominantly in the form of adenocarcinoma. Extensive research has confirmed the significant role of autophagy in the initiation, progression, and chemoresistance of GC. The potential of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to exert anti-tumor effects by modulating autophagy has been demonstrated, particularly in the context of GC prevention and treatment. Natural products (NPs) have great therapeutic potential in the prevention and treatment of GC by targeting autophagy-related genes and signaling pathways to intervene in the biological behaviors of gastric cancer cells such as proliferation, metastasis, invasion and death. This article describes the molecular mechanisms and key markers of tumor autophagy, the signaling pathways involved in GC-associated autophagy (PI3K/AKT/mTOR, AMPK, MAPK, p53), and summarizes the mechanism of autophagy and