Abstract: Pyrolysis technology has a great application prospect in the future. The essential properties of cellulose, pyrolysis mechanism, research tools, catalyst type and other important factors affecting the products distribution are discussed in detail. Particularly, the addition of a variety of catalysts and the optimum design of reaction device can significantly accelerate the cellulose pyrolysis, improve the product distribution and increase the selectivity of some high-value chemicals, thus effectively enhancing the resource and energy utilization value of pyrolysis products. Last but not the least, the future research orientation of cellulose pyrolysis technology is put forward based on some key questions to be solved.