Over the past few decades, surgical treatment for spinal tumors has experienced many technological innovations, including surgical methods, implantations, biological agents, computer-assisted navigation equipment and so on. The real-time intraoperative imaging guidance and 3D imaging reconstruction provide theoretical and technical support for accurate location and resection of spinal tumors. The intraoperative navigation has been widely introduced into the surgical treatment of orthopaedic diseases, such as pedicle screw placement, pelvic fracture fixation, etc., and achieved satisfactory effectiveness. The application of navigation technology platform has greatly improved the minimally invasive treatment and precise resection of spinal tumors, and reduced the radiation exposure injury during operation. In this review, we sum up the effectiveness, safety and development prospects of navigation technology for spinal tumor treatment.