This review introduces recent progress related to carbohydrate–metal interactions and carbohydrate‐based metal complexes. Carbohydrates are ubiquitous natural resources with highly diverse and ordered structures that serve as valuable material pools for life science and fine chemicals. In this context, efficient methods for degradation and molecular transformations of natural polysaccharides into useful compounds promoted by metal–carbohydrate interactions have been investigated. Carbohydrate‐bearing metal complexes exhibit several benefits including targeting to specific cells, enhanced cellular uptake, water solubility, and chirality. Such properties of carbohydrate–metal complexes are utilized in chemotherapy, imaging, catalysis, and other material sciences. Platinum and other metal complexes with carbohydrate ligands as anticancer agents, carbohydrate‐based drug candidates against Alzheimer's diseases, and photosensitizers are possible medicinal applications. Fluorescence, magnetic resonance, and radioactivity of carbohydrate‐based metal complexes are frequently used modalities for molecular imaging. In addition, many carbohydrate–metal complexes are used as catalysts in asymmetric synthesis. These attractive properties of carbohydrate–metal interactions and carbohydrate‐conjugated metal complexes will provide new frontiers in material and life sciences in the future.