Digestive system tumors are the most common tumors worldwide with high mortality rates. Circular homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 3 (circHIPK3) is a highly abundant and stable circular RNA and have garnered significant attention in the field of cancer research. This review systematically explores potential of circHIPK3 as a clinical biomarker, clinical significance in pharmacotherapy, and molecular mechanisms that regulate biological functions such as cell proliferation, survival, migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, metabolism and angiogenesis in digestive system tumors. Moreover, this review further explored the influence of circHIPK3 on key signaling pathways and the potential clinical value as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target. By delving into the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of circHIPK3, this review aims to provide novel research directions and theoretical guidance for the identification of new therapeutic targets and the development of individualized treatment protocols for digestive system tumors.