Crystal violet (CV), a cationic dye, has been demonstrated to be a powerful carcinogen, a mitotic toxin and poisonous to mammalian cells such that the predominant presence of the dye invariably causes several effects of destruction to mankind and it necessitates a clarion call to do away with this nuisance before it can produce a snowball effect. The recent widespread reporting of the photocatalysis‐mediated degradation of CV as an emerging technique for removing this dangerous dye from aqueous mediums highlights its effectiveness. Numerous researchers have contributed substantially to describing how photocatalysis‐based nanomaterials could be used to degrade CV. The fundamentals and the factors that predominantly influence CV degradation are highlighted in this work. These factors include the nature of nanomaterials, catalyst concentration, dye dosage, pH of the solution in use, temperature and light intensity. Additionally, thorough kinetics and mechanistic descriptions are also included to give crucial insights into the light‐mediated reaction of CV. The present study's findings have the potential to alleviate practitioners and researchers of the burden of having to navigate through numerous studies under each category of parameters to get an exhaustive overview of all of the different variables that may affect the photocatalytic degradation of CV dye. In order to further enhance the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of CV, researchers can expand on this study by investigating novel strategies to lessen the impact of certain elements that adversely affect the photocatalytic reaction process. The potential prospects for extending the advancement of scientific study in this area are also explored. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).