Notably, hydrogen was regarded as the major component of the future green and unconventional energies and its transportation pipeline was dependent on the present system for oil and gas gathering transferring. Hydrogen embrittlement (HE) in Hydrogen pipeline steel should not be neglected. However, there is still no complete theory to explain all the HE behaviors, and many problems need to be optimized and solved in traditional methods to prevent HE. The basic knowledge of pipeline steels for hydrogen transportation were summarized, including the development and the chemical composition of different types of pipeline steels. At the same time, the concept and mechanism of hydrogen embrittlement failure (weak bond theory, hydrogen promoting local plastic deformation theory, hydrogen pressure theory and hydrogen adsorption reducing surface energy theory) were summarized. It was worth noting that, there was no complete theory to explain all hydrogen embrittlement. In addition, the influencing factors of hydrogen embrittlement, including material, hydrogen content, temperature and strain rate, were summarized. On this basis, the main methods for preventing hydrogen embrittlement were summarized. The mechanical, physical and chemical properties of pipeline steel could be improved by changing the internal or surface structure and chemical composition of pipeline steels. Four methods of preventing hydrogen embrittlement, including heat treatment, addition of vanadium, copper and other metal elements, cold treatment–shot peening treatment and electroplating modification, were emphatically reviewed. However, there were still many problems that needed to be optimized and solved in the traditional methods of preventing hydrogen embrittlement. Finally, the development status of online monitoring technology for hydrogen embrittlement behavior of pipeline steel was discussed, and the research direction of hydrogen embrittlement behavior of pipeline steel was prospected.