Objective To study the effect and mechanism of Xuebijing injection on sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice by regulating autophagy. Methods A total of 80 BALB/c male mice were randomly divided into control group, model group, Xuebijing group and Xuebijing+3-methyladenosine (3-MA) group, with 20 mice in each group. The control group received sham operation, while sepsis-induced ALI model was established in the later three groups by cecal ligation and puncture, on that basis, the Xuebijing group was given 10 mL/kg Xuebijing by intraperitoneal injection and the Xuebijing+3-MA group was given 10 mL/kg Xuebijing and 10 mg/kg autophagy inhibitor 3-mA by intraperitoneal injection. The cumulative survival rates of the four groups were observed 72 h after modeling, and the pathological changes of lung tissues, lung wet weight /dry weight ratios, inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1 β, and IL-18] contents, numbers of autophagosome, and the protein expression levels of autophagy genes [microtubule-associated protein light chain3 (LC3)-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰand Beclin-1] were detected. Results In the control group, the 72-hour cumulative survival rate was 100%, the lung wet weight /dry weight ratio was 3.89±0.85, the TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-18 contents were (0.83±0.14) ng/mg, (0.74±0.15) ng/mg, and (84.51±13.25) pg/mg, respectively, the number of autophagosome was (0.41±0.09)/field, and the expression levels of LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ and Beclin-1 were 0.20±0.04 and 0.17±0.03, respectively. In the model group, the lung tissue showed typical ALI pathological changes, the 72-hour cumulative survival rate (50%) was lower than that in the control group, and the lung wet weight /dry weight ratio (6.77±0.94), contents of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-18 [(3.15±0.76) ng/mg, (2.88±0.62) ng/mg, (274.62±45.58) pg/mg], autophagosome number [(3.14±0.55)/field], and expression levels of LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ and Beclin-1 (0.69±0.09, 0.35±0.06) were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). In the Xuebijing group, the ALI pathological changes alleviated, the 72-hour cumulative survival rate (75%), autophagosome number [(5.77±0.75)/field], and expression levels of LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ and Beclin-1 (0.98±0.13, 0.62±0.08) were higher than those in the model group (P<0.05), and the lung wet weight /dry weight ratio (4.23±0.76) and contents of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-18 [(1.52±0.32) ng/mg, (1.29±0.30) ng/mg, (121.36±26.51) pg/mg] were lower than those in the model group (P<0.05). In the Xuebijing+3MA group, the ALI pathological changes aggravated, the 72-hour cumulative survival rate (55%), autophagosome number [(0.78±0.16)/field], and expression levels of LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ and Beclin-1 (0.37±0.05, 0.32±0.05) were lower than those in the Xuebijing group (P<0.05), and the lung wet weight /dry weight ratio (6.31±0.91) and contents of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-18 [(2.88±0.56) ng/mg, (2.41±0.58) ng/mg, (252.35±37.65) pg/mg] were higher than those in the Xuebijing group (P<0.05). Conclusion Xuebijing injection can reduce ALI induced by sepsis in mice, and activation of autophagy is the molecular mechanism.