These diagnostic laparoscopy guidelines are a series of systematically developed statements to assist surgeons’ (and patients’) decisions about the appropriate use of diagnostic laparoscopy (DL) in specific clinical circumstances. The statements included in this guideline are the product of a systematic review of published work on the topic, and the recommendations are explicitly linked to the supporting evidence. The strengths and weaknesses of the available evidence are described and expert opinion sought where the evidence is lacking. This is an update of previous guidelines on this topic (SAGES publication #0012; last revision 2002) as new information has accumulated.