The traditional methods of synthesizing gold nanoparticles include physical and chemical methods. Physical methods have limitations that will hinder their application in the field of biomedicine. Meanwhile, chemical methods have high operating costs. In order to overcome these shortcomings and achieve a sustainable route for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles, green synthesis has become a research hotspot in this field. The green synthesis method has been widely used in the synthesis of gold nanoparticles due to its extraordinary characteristics such as cost-effectiveness, simplicity, non-toxicity, and environmental friendliness. This paper takes gold nanoparticles as an example, briefly summarizes the advantages of green synthesis, and highlights the recent research progress on the green synthesis of gold nanoparticles with the utilization of natural reagents such as plant-derived materials, algae, fungi and their products, and bacteria and their products. Finally, the future challenges and application prospects of green synthesis of gold nanoparticles are proposed and prospected.