Cirrhotic ascites significantly impacts patients’ quality of life and poses serious clinical challenges. Conventional treatments, such as diuresis and abdominocentesis, are costly and prone to recurrence. Acupoint application, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) external therapy, offers a safe, painless, and cost-effective alternative widely used in clinical practice. However, its efficacy and safety lack systematic evaluation. This study aims to comprehensively assess the effectiveness and safety of acupoint application for treating cirrhotic ascites through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials retrieved from databases including CNKI, VIP, WanFang, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. The findings will provide evidence to guide clinical decision-making.