Heavy metals in soil pollution pose a serious threat to human beings and ecosystems. Phytoremediation technology can effectively control soil pollution through plant root exudates, which shows good effect. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of plant root exudates in soil pollution control. Through literature review and data analysis, it was revealed that plant root exudates have biogeochemical functions such as adsorption, chelation, reduction and stabilization, which contribute to the migration and transformation of soil pollutants and reduce environmental harm.