Display omitted •The development of carbon materials in the electrocatalytic oxidative degradation of wastewater in recent years is reviewed.•The characteristics of carbon materials and optimization ideas were discussed.•The preparation process of carbon-based material electrode is introduced systematically.•Mechanisms of carbon-based material electrode in the electroabsorption and electrocatalysis were discussed in detail.•Research directions and foreseeable challenges in the electrocatalytic degradation of carbon-based electrodes are summarized and prospected. Carbon materials are widely used as catalysts in electrocatalytic oxidative (EO) degradation of wastewater due to their large specific surface area and low cost. Carbon materials can also be used as catalyst carriers for EO reactions due to their ease of functionalization with other heteroatoms and metals/metal oxides. To improve the catalytic activity and current efficiency of carbon materials, modifying the structural and physicochemical properties of conventional carbon materials are common improvement method. This review briefly outlines the recent research progress of carbon materials in EO for organic pollutants degradation. It also discusses the modification strategies and corresponding electrocatalytic properties of various carbon materials (carbon nanomaterials and porous carbon materials), and explores the EO mechanism. Finally, some summaries of the remaining challenges and future developments of carbon materials in the field of electrocatalysis are given.