A scoping review of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) found that it has therapeutic effects across 21 clinical populations, including psychiatric, cardiac, neurological, and other conditions. The review included 109 studies, with 2,214 adults receiving active taVNS and 1,017 receiving sham taVNS. Stimulation parameters were inconsistently reported, but taVNS appeared to have a favorable therapeutic effect across various populations. Three sham protocols were reported, but only two showed effectiveness in blinding participants. Most adverse events were localized to the stimulation site. taVNS was generally safe and well-tolerated, but standardized reporting of stimulation parameters and adverse events is needed. Two questionnaires were proposed to evaluate adverse events and the effectiveness of sham methods in blinding participants. The review highlights the need for further research to standardize parameters and improve the quality of future studies. taVNS showed therapeutic effects in depression, epilepsy, stroke, and other conditions, with daily/weekly dose and treatment duration being important factors. The review also notes that taVNS may have a broad physiological effect due to its stimulation of the vagus nerve, which influences brain and body functions. However, the effectiveness of different sham methods in blinding participants remains unclear, and further research is needed to evaluate these methods. Adverse events were generally localized and rare, but inconsistent reporting limited the ability to explore correlations between stimulation parameters and adverse events. The review concludes that taVNS is a promising therapy with potential for clinical translation, but more research is needed to confirm its safety and effectiveness.A scoping review of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) found that it has therapeutic effects across 21 clinical populations, including psychiatric, cardiac, neurological, and other conditions. The review included 109 studies, with 2,214 adults receiving active taVNS and 1,017 receiving sham taVNS. Stimulation parameters were inconsistently reported, but taVNS appeared to have a favorable therapeutic effect across various populations. Three sham protocols were reported, but only two showed effectiveness in blinding participants. Most adverse events were localized to the stimulation site. taVNS was generally safe and well-tolerated, but standardized reporting of stimulation parameters and adverse events is needed. Two questionnaires were proposed to evaluate adverse events and the effectiveness of sham methods in blinding participants. The review highlights the need for further research to standardize parameters and improve the quality of future studies. taVNS showed therapeutic effects in depression, epilepsy, stroke, and other conditions, with daily/weekly dose and treatment duration being important factors. The review also notes that taVNS may have a broad physiological effect due to its stimulation of the vagus nerve, which influences brain and body functions. However, the effectiveness of different sham methods in blinding participants remains unclear, and further research is needed to evaluate these methods. Adverse events were generally localized and rare, but inconsistent reporting limited the ability to explore correlations between stimulation parameters and adverse events. The review concludes that taVNS is a promising therapy with potential for clinical translation, but more research is needed to confirm its safety and effectiveness.