【Abstract】Recently, the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) officially issued new classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the journals of Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases and ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATOLOGY. The new classification criteria were introduced in 2017, and its 2year clinical validation showed excellent sensitivity and specificity. Compared to the 1997 ACR criteria and the 2012 Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) classification criteria, the new classification criteria uphold rigorous methodology to maintain a balanced use of both expertbased and datadriven methods. The new classification criteria have defined positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) as required entry criterion, and the clinical manifestations of various systems/organs and multiple immunological abnormalities as additive criteria. The differential weighting of criteria better represents their relative contribution to SLE. The new classification criteria reflect current understanding about SLE and provide an improved foundation for SLE research. This article provides a brief review of several highlights of the 2019 EULAR/ACR classification criteria for SLE, to emphasize the correct understanding of the criteria to diagnose this heterogeneous disease earlier and more accurately.