Display omitted •An improved COPK method is proposed for the covered karst groundwater vulnerability assessment, which is modified from the widely used COP method according to the unique hydrogeological features in northern China.•The COPK method is used in the Baotu Spring basin in Jinan City as a typical representative.•Most of the study area exhibits moderate to low karst groundwater vulnerability.•The nitrate concentration in karst groundwater demonstrated that the improved COPK method has much better performance than the original COP method. Karst in China is characterized by a wide distribution, diverse forms, well-developed features, and excellent preservation, making it a representative example on a global scale. The semi-arid karst in northern China, widely distributed in many provinces, has unique hydrogeological features, including covered karst, weak karst development, thick aquifers, highly interconnected fissure network, and numerous karst springs, making it difficult to directly apply the COP method which is widely used in karst groundwater vulnerability assessment in this area. Additionally, the quality of the karst groundwater in many northern China cities is facing a threat in recent years, making it urgent to evaluate the vulnerability of the karst groundwater. This study aims to develop an improved COPK method for the covered karst groundwater vulnerability assessment modified from the widely used COP method, and to use it in the Baotu Spring basin in Jinan City, as a typical representative of the covered karst area in northern China. The assessment result by the improved COPK method shows that most of the study area exhibits moderate to low karst groundwater vulnerability, and the area with very high to high vulnerability is situated in the Middle Ordovician-Upper Cambrian Chaomidian Formation limestone exposed area. The above results by the improved COPK method are more consistent with the hydrogeological conditions than those by the original COP method. A comparison of nitrate contamination map to the groundwater vulnerability map reveals the more efficient performance of the improved COPK method compared to the original COP method in vulnerability assessment of the typical covered karst areas in northern China. This paper can provide a reference for karst groundwater vulnerability assessment of covered karst areas in northern China, as well as other countries and regions with similar hydrogeological conditions, which can provide valuable support for groundwater pollution control efforts.