The usage of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) in construction has become a great concern among researchers due to the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission during production. As alternatives, alkali-activated materials (AAMs), which include geopolymers, have been introduced as green material due to their similar properties to OPC and minimal CO₂ emission. This review highlights the heat evolution during alkali activation, which has been proven to be a reliable technique for providing information on the cumulative heat evolution and kinetic parameters, encompassing reaction rates, mechanism, and activation energy. The factors influencing heat evolution such as effect of materials used and parameters of mix design, including alkali solution concentration, alkali-activator ratios and solid-to-liquid ratios/liquid-to-solid ratios are briefly reviewed to highlight the significance of heat evolution in understanding the alkali activation process for the formation of AAMs.