Objectives To investigate the participation of magazines or journals' editors in the clinical practice guidelines in China. Methods WanFang Data, VIP, CNKI, CBM databases, as well as Baidu, Google and www.medlive.cn were searched online to collect incorporated guidelines in which magazines or journal editors participated in. Data was then analyzed. Results In total, 68 guidelines were selected, with 51 (75.00%) led by magazines and 17 (25.00%) edited by editors. 55 guidelines (80.88%) were the same in published and participated journals. Circulatory diseases (27.94%), diagnosis and treatment (54.41%) were the most concerned. 15 guidelines (22.06%) were updated. 17 guidelines reported the roles of the editors who were mostly expert group members (13.24%). 7 guidelines, 3 of which affirmed no relevant conflicts of interest, reported the sponsorship. The quality was higher than the domestic average while lower than the international guidelines. Conclusions The number of clinical practice guidelines magazines or editors participating in China is relatively small, while the quality was higher. The primary form of the participation is journal-led, however, the process, methods, roles, and conflicts of interest in the guidelines require further definition.