Geopolymers are a family of inorganic cementitious materials formed by chemical excitation reaction of active aluminosilicate precursors, which have the advantages of excellent mechanical properties, good durability and so on. The development and application of this kind of new cementitious materials is conducive to the low-carbonation development of traditional cement industry. However, in the process of preparation of geopolymers, it is difficult to control the setting time of freshly mixed concrete, which greatly limits the adoption and application. This paper summarizes various factors that affect the setting and hardening behavior of geopolymers, such as the physical and chemical properties of aluminosilicate raw materials, the types, concentration and modulus of activators, water content and other internal factors, as well as the external factors such as curing temperature and chemical additives. The influence law and mechanism of each factor on the setting and hardening characteristics of geopolymers are discussed in detail, and the future research perspectives towards setting and hardening of geopolymers are also given on the basis of this comprehensive review.