Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a complex and heterogeneous autoimmune disease, represents a significant challenge for both diagnosis and treatment. In 2019, under the leadership of the Chinese Rheumatology Association, a multidisciplinary guideline development group was established. The objective was to develop an evidence-based diagnosis and treatment guideline for SLE in China based on emerging new evidence. The guideline was registered at International Practice Guidelines Registry Platform (IPGRP-2019CN022). The grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to rate the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations, and the RIGHT (Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in Healthcare) checklist was followed to report the guideline. The guideline provides recommendations for the SLE classification criteria, disease activity monitoring and assessing, medication principles and considerations organ and system involvement and management of patients during pregnancy. This guideline is intended to serve as a tool for Chinese clinicians for the best decisions-making on diagnosis and treatment of SLE.