Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) is a common organ dysfunction of sepsis, and its incidence and mortality are increasing,which brings heavy economic burden to patients and society. Early diagnosis and effective intervention can block the occurrence and progression of SA-AKI effectively, improve prognosis, and reduce medical costs. Diagnosis on SA-AKI relies on urine volume and serum creatinine, which has the disadvantages of being easily disturbed and delaying. The identification of biomarkers in blood and urine can facilitate diagnosis and provide targeted therapy to enhance the management of SA-AKI. This article reviews the characteristics of a variety of SA-AKI biomarkers that have been found and validated, including pre-damage biomarkers, damage biomarkers and functional biomarkers, and explore the clinical value of newly discovered biomarkers related to the diagnosis and treatment of SA-AKI, such as blood uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), Sestrin 2 protein and pannexin 1 (PANX1), to provide reference for the early diagnosis and effective treatment of SA-AKI.