Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by joint inflammation and systemic complications, which has a serious impact on patients’ quality of life and joint function. Early diagnosis, accurate monitoring of disease activity and prognostic assessment are essential for optimizing therapeutic strategies and improving patient prognosis. This article reviews recent advances in RA biomarkers covering the entire course of the disease, including predictive markers, diagnostic biomarkers, as well as disease activity and prognostic biomarkers. We also listed the multifunctional biomarkers and outline future directions for biomarker research in RA.