[Background] With the rapid development of construction projects, soil and water loss from artificial slopes becomes more and more serious, which leads to the birth of various soil protection methods. The newly-invented geotextiles ecological protection technology has the characteristics of rapid construction, soil and water conservation, and degradable biomaterial. Geotextiles are a possible temporary alternative before vegetation establishes itself, and offer immediate soil protection on slopes. Hence, more and more attention has been paid to the research of this technology. [Methods] This paper reviews the progress of geotextiles research in recent years. The characteristics of different types of geotextiles are compared in terms of ecological slope protection and their functions in soil and water conservation, soil improvement, and plant growth. [Results] Studies have shown that the geotextiles can significantly reduce the sediment yield by 56%-98.9% and reduce runoff by 26%-81%, compared to bare land. However, the effect of geotextiles on soil and water conservation varies greatly owing to the material and density of geotextiles, the rainfall intensity and field conditions. Geotextiles made of borassus fibre reduce soil erosion most effectively because of their high anti-scouribility, while geotextiles made of wheat straw reduce runoff most effectively due to their high water contention capacity. Geotextiles ameliorate soil quality through increasing the surface roughness and prolonging the residence time in the surface to increase the infiltration. The geotextiles can also avoid direct sunlight, moderate soil surface temperature fluctuations, and maintain soil moisture, while degradation themselves improves the physical and chemical properties of soil, increases soil fertility, and enhances microbial activity. The geotextiles increase the survival rate of plants, increase plant density and plant biomass and accelerate the growth of vegetation. The plants covered by geotextiles have higher productivity than the bare plots. From the practical application point of view, the geotextiles have multiple advantages in the aspect of ecological slope protection, and has a prospect of wide application in engineering construction as an important technology of ecological protection. First, the technology can utilize surplus agricultural waste such as straw and borassus fiber, which not only reduces the environmental pollution caused by burning, but also generates income for the farmers. Second, the technology of geotextiles can significantly shorten the construction period of soil and water conservation projects. Third, the materials of geotextiles are easy to get and process so as to save the project investment. Last but not least, the geotextiles can reduce evaporation and decrease irrigation frequency, thus saving the water resource. [Conclusions] And from the angle of scientific research, in-depth study of the ecological benefits of geotextiles in field experiments is still the main trend in recent studies. Development of different geotextiles adapting for application in different conditions of climate, soil, vegetation and for different purposes such as water insulation and heat insulation will become a new research hotspot.