Abstract <p>Improving the light-harvesting efficiency of photoanodes is essential for boosting the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). For this purpose, in this study, rGO-incorporated Ce-doped Zn₂SnO₄ photoanodes were fabricated through a facile ultrasonic-assisted hydrothermal approach. The synthesized photoanodes were characterized using powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-visible (UV-Vis), and photoluminescence (PL) techniques to study their structural, morphological, and optical properties. The XRD peaks confirmed the successful formation of the Ce-doped composite while maintaining the basic spinel cubic structure of Zn₂SnO₄ and the effective anchoring of rGO. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis was used to determine the chemical composition and purity of the prepared samples, while Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis confirmed a higher specific surface area of 124.72&#xa0;m²/g for the rGO/Ce-doped Zn₂SnO₄ hybrid photoanode. Furthermore, the DSSCs fabricated with Zn₂SnO₄, Zn₂SnO₄/rGO, and Ce-doped Zn₂SnO₄/rGO nanocomposites were characterized using <i>J–V</i> measurements, showing enhanced photovoltaic properties compared to pristine Zn₂SnO₄ and Zn₂SnO₄/rGO. With PCE of 7.19%, open-circuit voltage (<i>V</i>_oc) of 0.85&#xa0;V, short-circuit current density (<i>J</i>_sc) of 15.86&#xa0;mA cm⁻², and a fill factor (FF) of 0.74, the DSSC with Ce-doped Zn₂SnO₄/rGO photoanodes demonstrated the best performance among the DSSCs. The study reveals that the strategic incorporation of rGO and cerium into the Zn₂SnO₄ photoanode significantly boosts the PCE in DSSCs, demonstrating an effective approach for enhancing photovoltaic performance through material modification.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>