Background　Ischemia/reperfusion injury （I/RI） plays an important role in many liver surgeries， such as liver transplantation and hepatectomy. Much work has been done investigating the mechanism of I/RI and the therapies to alleviate the I/RI.　Objective　This review aims to provide new insights into preventing hepatic I/RI by summarizing the research actuality involved in hepatic ischemic preconditioning （IPC）.　Content　We reviewed the two protective methods including IPC and remote ischemic preconditioning （RIPC） investigated in the latest five years.　Trend　The protective mechanism of ischemic preconditioning in liver should be deeply clarified to provide enough proof for clinical application.