• Provides the first comprehensive review focused on phenylurea herbicides (PUHs). • Compares electrode materials, detection strategies, and real-sample recoveries. • Explores integration of electrochemical detection with mass spectrometry for mechanism studies. • Identifies strengths: high sensitivity, selectivity, and fast response in environmental analysis. • Offers future perspectives on hybrid materials, standardization, and greener sensing. Phenylurea herbicides (PUHs) are extensively used in modern agriculture due to their high efficiency in weed control; however, their widespread application has led to persistent environmental contamination and growing public health concerns. Reliable, sensitive, and selective analytical methods are therefore essential for monitoring these compounds in environmental and food matrices. Although several recent reviews have addressed electrochemical sensors and biosensors for a broad range of pollutants, there is currently no dedicated review focusing exclusively on PUHs while integrating electrochemical sensors, biosensors, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), and electrochemical detection coupled with liquid chromatography (LC). This review provides a comprehensive and critical overview of electrochemical strategies developed for the analysis of PUHs. Core electroanalytical techniques, including cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), square wave voltammetry (SWV), and chronoamperometry (CA), are discussed in terms of their fundamental principles, analytical roles, and suitability for mechanistic investigation, quantitative determination, and rapid screening. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is also examined, particularly for its application in the characterization of electrode interfaces and in electrochemical biosensor development. Furthermore, the integration of electrochemical methods with mass spectrometry is highlighted as a powerful approach for elucidating redox mechanisms and identifying electrochemical transformation products. More than one hundred electrochemical sensors and biosensors reported between 1993 and 2025 are critically evaluated, with emphasis on electrode materials, surface modification strategies, detection mechanisms, analytical performance, and applicability to real samples. The advantages and limitations of electrochemical sensors, biosensors, and MIP-based platforms are systematically discussed in the context of sensitivity, selectivity, response time, and matrix effects. By synthesizing current advances and identifying remaining challenges, this review aims to provide clear guidance for future research and to support the development of robust, efficient, and application-oriented electrochemical methods for PUHs analysis.