<p>Under conditions of deep burial and uniform coal seam spacing, cyclic loading–unloading stress significantly enhances the permeability of coalbed gas reservoirs. This study divides the stress path of the protected coal seam into loading, unloading, and recovery stages, with three types of coal samples (vertical fractures (VF), inclined fractures (IF), and horizontal fractures (HF)) subjected to three-cycle loading–unloading seepage tests. The results show that permeability is negatively correlated with effective stress, and the permeability of coal samples increased by more than 20 times compared to their initial values, highlighting the potential of cyclic loading–unloading to improve gas extraction efficiency. The impact of cyclic loading–unloading was more pronounced in seams adjacent to the protective layer and decreased with greater seam distance. Permeability changes mainly occurred during the unloading and recovery stages. The permeability ranking of fractured coal samples was IF &gt; HF &gt; VF. Stress sensitivity coefficients decreased with increasing cycles during the loading stage. These findings suggest that cyclic loading–unloading stress can enhance gas recovery in deep and complex coal seams, particularly those with inclined fractures. The results highlight the potential of cyclic loading–unloading to significantly improve gas recovery, especially in seams with inclined fractures, potentially increasing gas recovery by over 200%. For seams with vertical fractures, careful pressure control is needed to avoid excessive compaction. In seams further from the protective layer, pressure cycles should be adjusted. This research provides valuable insights for optimizing gas extraction strategies and improving efficiency in coalbed gas reservoirs.</p>