Ischemic stroke is considered to be one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide and is associated with a complex series of pathophysiological processes. However, the time window of thrombolytic therapy and thrombectomy is short, and the therapy has some limitations. Oleanolic acid, a terpenes with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, is found in a variety of valuable traditional Chinese medicines, it has been proved to attenuate excitotoxicity, Ca2 + overload, mitochondrial dysfunction, blood-brain barrier permeability, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, anti-apoptosis, anti-blepharoptosis, anti-autophagy, and improve angiogenesis and neurogenesis. This article reviews the effect and mechanism of oleanolic acid in neurotherapy of ischemic stroke, and provides reference for clinical application of oleanolic acid.