The article reviews methods for monitoring autophagy, a cellular process crucial for starvation adaptation and quality control. It discusses the identification of autophagic structures and the measurement of autophagic flux in cultured cells and animals. The authors highlight the importance of accurate interpretation of results, as static analysis can lead to misinterpretations. They describe various techniques, including immunoblotting, fluorescence microscopy, and the use of fluorescent reporters, and emphasize the need for a combination of methods to avoid false interpretations. The article also covers the development of autophagy reporter mice for in vivo studies and the challenges in monitoring autophagy in human samples. Finally, it concludes by emphasizing the importance of selecting appropriate assays based on the specific research goals and the limitations of current methods.The article reviews methods for monitoring autophagy, a cellular process crucial for starvation adaptation and quality control. It discusses the identification of autophagic structures and the measurement of autophagic flux in cultured cells and animals. The authors highlight the importance of accurate interpretation of results, as static analysis can lead to misinterpretations. They describe various techniques, including immunoblotting, fluorescence microscopy, and the use of fluorescent reporters, and emphasize the need for a combination of methods to avoid false interpretations. The article also covers the development of autophagy reporter mice for in vivo studies and the challenges in monitoring autophagy in human samples. Finally, it concludes by emphasizing the importance of selecting appropriate assays based on the specific research goals and the limitations of current methods.