In order to obtain a cotton fabric with good conductivity, an electroless nickel-plated conductive cotton fabric is prepared by the nickel sulfate ultrasonic activation method. The chemical composition and surface morphology of the coating were characterized by EDS and SEM, and the surface square resistance, weight gain, friction resistance and tensile strength of the cotton fabric after nickel plating were tested and analyzed. The effects of temperature, pH, NiSO4·6H2O concentration and NaH2PO2·H2O concentration on the weight gain and surface square resistance of cotton fabric were discussed. The results show that: after m(NiSO4·6H2O): m(NaH2PO2·H2O): m(H2O)=1.5:2:30, temperature 60 ℃, frequency 40 KHz and power 320W, ultrasonic activation for 30 min under the conditions of NiSO4·6H2O concentration 25 g/L, NaH2PO2·H2O concentration 20~25 g/L, Na3C6H5O7·2H2O concentration 5 g/L, C2H3NaO2 concentration 5 g/L, temperature 90 ℃, pH 5~6, reaction time 1h. At this time, the surface resistance of the nickel-plated conductive cotton fabric is the smallest, preferably 71.67 mΩ/□, and has good abrasion resistance. Good electrical conductivity and abrasion resistance make it better applied to smart textiles.