Objective This study aims to identify hotspots in this field and predict future research directions by understanding the development trends and hotspots.Methods we analyzed 4102 papers on artesunate from 2001 to 2022 by using two visualization software,CiteSpace and VOSviewer.Results Our findings indicate that the number of artesunate-related articles published has steadily increased in recent years.The United Kingdom participated in the largest number of studies.Mahidron University is the institution with the largest number of publications.Malaria artemisinin,efficacy and cancer are research hotspots in the field of artesunate.Severe malaria,drug resistance,apoptosis and ferroptosis may be the focus of future artesunate-related research.Conclusion Artesunate research focuses on malaria and artemisinin.As a result of bibliometric analysis,new ideas are provided to improve the clinical application of artesunate.