Metastasis is one of the major reasons for patient mortality in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the progression of HCC to a metastatic state depends on the local microenvironment. Hypoxia is a key condition affecting the microenvironment of HCC. Currently, various studies have shown that the expression of hypoxia‑ainducible factor‑1α (HIF‑1α) is associated with the invasion and metastasis of HCC. High expression of HIF‑1α often leads to poor prognosis in patients with HCC. In this review, the molecular structure of HIF‑1α is described, and the expression pattern of HIF‑1α in HCC under hypoxia, which is associated with metastasis and poor prognosis in HCC, is explained. The molecular mechanisms of HIF‑1α function and the metastasis of HCC are further discussed. The modulation of HIF‑1α can reduce sorafenib resistance and improve the prognosis of patients after TACE. Therefore, HIF‑1α may be a critical target for inhibiting HCC metastasis in the future.