This study aims to develop a novel strong inhibitory anti-collapse inhibitor to improve the shale recovery rate of drilling fluid and optimize the drilling fluid system. The effects of different reaction times, feed ratios, and reaction temperatures on the performance of inhibitors were experimentally investigated. The experimental results showed that when the molar ratio of coupling agent to tertiary amine was 1:3, the reaction temperature was 80 ℃, and the reaction time was 3 h, the inhibitory performance and recovery rate of the inhibitor were optimal. The synthesized inhibitor can significantly improve shale recovery rate, effectively enhance the stability of drilling fluid system, and meet the anti-collapse inhibition requirements of Changqing Oilfield. In addition, the effect of storage time on the performance of inhibitors was evaluated, and the initial synthesized inhibitor showed the best effect. This inhibitor reduces the linear expansion rate of the core and improves the shale recovery rate, effectively enhancing the stability of the drilling fluid system.