Abstract <p>Photodetectors are increasingly widely used in various fields, but traditional photodetectors have certain limitations in performance. As a new type of artificial micro-nano structure, metasurfaces are widely used to improve photodetectors’ performance due to their excellent ability to regulate light waves. This paper summarizes the combination of metasurfaces, which are highly efficient artificial structures, with a variety of traditional photodetectors, classifies different photodetectors, and explains how metasurfaces can efficiently improve the performance of these photodetectors. Numerous metasurfaces, including metallic and all-dielectric metasurfaces, are presented, and their integration into photovoltaic devices, photoconductive devices, infrared detectors, photodiodes, and other devices is summarized. In addition, some of the significant metasurface preparation processes are outlined, and a series of challenges and problems that will be encountered in the future development of metasurfaces are envisioned.</p>