Surgical resection is the only possible cure method for colorectal liver metastases (CRLM), but about 70% of patients with CRLM will relapse after hepatectomy. Neoadjuvant therapy is an effective means to reduce the recurrence rate and prolong the survival of patients. The targeted drugs have also been widely used in neoadjuvant therapy for its high objective response rate. However, the new version of the NCCN guidelines in 2017 revised the recommendation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with targeted therapy as a recommendation for neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone, due to the lack of clinical evidence. It was of great importance for clinical practice to take an objective view on the changes in the recommendations of the NCCN guidelines. Therefore, this article will focus on the role and status of targeted drugs in neoadjuvant therapy.