Objective To review its current application in tumor management, and provide a practical reference for the application of radiotherapy for biliary tract tumors. Methods The published research on radiotherapy for biliary tract tumors was searched in PubMed and CNKI from 2006 to 2022, with "biliary tumors, cholangiocarcinoma, radiotherapy" as the keywords. Inclusion Criteria: (1) Clinical studies with radiotherapy participation. (2) Adjuvant, neoadjuvant, palliative radiotherapy for intrahepatic, extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer, timing of radiotherapy for biliary tumors and delineation of radiotherapy targets. Exclusion criteria were defined as related literature with repetitive and outdated data. Seventy-six articles were analyzed. Results Radiotherapy is widely used in all stages of treatment of biliary tract tumors. Radiotherapy as an adjuvant therapy can not only improve the prognosis of postoperative patients and reduce local recurrence, but also reduce patient staging and increase the chance of R0 resection as neoadjuvant therapy. For patients with unresectable biliary tumors, radiation therapy can also prolong survival. In tumors at different primary sites, radiation therapy has impacted the patient's prognosis to varying degrees. Radiotherapy is widely available, but it still faces challenges such as a lack of high-level evidence and conflicting conclusions from previous retrospective studies. Conclusions Adjuvant, neoadjuvant, palliative and other radiotherapy methods and treatment modes can help promote local control and survival of patients with biliary tumors, and radiotherapy should be effectively combined with other treatment methods according to the different primary sites to carry out individualized treatment modes. Research into new high-level evidence can help deepen the understanding and application of radiotherapy. © 2024 Chinese Journal of Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Editorial board. All rights reserved.