Abstract: Carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) are two pivotal greenhouse gases, and their atmospheric concentrations have reached the highest levels in 800 000 years. Coastal wetlands have great potential for carbon capture and burial, and are considered to be important “blue carbon” sinks on Earth. At the same time, coastal wetlands are also important natural sources of CO₂ and CH₄ in the atmosphere. The Yellow River Delta wetland, influenced by intense sea-land interactions, is an excellent location for studying wetland carbon emissions. The carbon emission processes and their response mechanisms to environmental changes are the current research hotspots. Using CiteSpace software and relevant articles published in the core database of Web of Science from 2013 to 2023, we summarized the research frontiers and latest progresses on the response characteristics and mechanisms of carbon emissions in coastal wetlands of the Yellow River Delta, especially concerning different anthropogenic effects, such as salinization, over-fertilization, heavy metal input, and microplastic pollution. The results showed that salinization and excessive nitrogen input have significant impacts on carbon emissions of coastal wetlands in the Yellow River Delta, and the potential impacts of heavy metal and microplastic pollution cannot be ignored. We proposed the future research direction of coastal wetland carbon emissions, and provided the microbial ecological perspective and scientific guidance for sustainable development, greenhouse gas emission reduction in the Yellow River Delta and carbon neutrality in China.