AIM: To summarize publication trends in the field of strabismus over the past 30y and predict future research hotspots. METHODS: A total of 2915 English-language articles and reviews on strabismus, published between 1993 and 2022, were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. Bibliometric analyses were performed using VOSviewer and CiteSpace software to explore publication trends, as well as the contributions and collaborative networks of countries/regions, authors, institutions, and journals. RESULTS: The annual number of publications on strabismus showed a consistent upward trend. The United States (USA) maintained a leading position in this research field while Republic of Korea and China emerged as rapidly advancing contributors over the last decade. The University of California, Los Angeles ranked as the most productive institution, and Jonathan M. Holmes from USA was the most productive author. Journal of AAPOS was the leading journal with the most strabismus publications, whereas the two most highly cited articles were both published in Ophthalmology. Co-occurrence analysis identified pivotal keywords and burst terms, including intermittent exotropia (IXT), acute acquired comitant esotropia (AACE), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and surgical treatment, which were confirmed as predominant and frontier topics. CONCLUSION: This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of strabismus research, revealing the evolution of research hotspots over the past 30y and outlining several cutting-edge directions for future investigation.