Objective To investigate the influence of platelet-albumin-bilirubin （PALBI） score on the textbook outcome （TO） of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） after hepatectomy，as well as the association of different PALBI scores before surgery with the achievement of TO after hepatectomy in HCC patients. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the data of HCC patients who underwent hepatectomy in West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Ziyang Central Hospital from January 2013 to January 2022. TO was defined as no serious complication within 30 days after surgery，no death within 90 days，no rehospitalization within 30 days after discharge，no blood transfusion in the perioperative period，RO resection，and no prolongation of hospital stay. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the influencing factors for the achievement of TO after hepatectomy in HCC patients. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot the survival curves of HCC patients，and the Log-rank test was used for comparison. Results A total of 3 599 patients were included in this study，among whom 2 369 （65.8%） achieved TO. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that PALBI grade （PALBI grade 2： odds ratio ［OR］=1.562，95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.308‍ ‍—‍ ‍1.864，P<0.001； PALBI grade 3： OR=2.216，95%CI： 1.463‍ ‍—‍ ‍3.359，P<0.001） was an independent risk factor for achievement of TO after surgery in HCC patients. The proportion of patients achieving TO decreased with the increase in PALBI grade. Among the patients with PALBI grade 1，2 or 3，the patients achieving TO accounted for 70.2%，54.2%，and 38.4%，respectively （χ²=106.295，P<0.001）. The incidence rate of serious complications within 30 days，the mortality rate of patients within 90 days after hepatectomy，readmission rate within 30 days after discharge，perioperative blood transfusion rate，and the rate of prolonged hospital stay all increased with the increase in PALBI grade （all P<0.05）. For the patients achieving TO，the 1-，3-，and 5-year relapse-free survival rates were 79.5%，60.6%，and 51.5%，respectively，and the overall survival rates were 92.1%，80.0%，and 71.1%，respectively； for those who did not achieve TO，the 1-，3-，and 5-year relapse-free survival rates were 68.5%，52.7%，and 46.2%，respectively，and the overall survival rates were 83.3%，66.0%，and 57.1%，respectively. The patients who achieved TO had significantly better relapse-free survival rate and overall survival rate than those who did not achieve TO （χ²=18.936 and 79.371，both P<0.001）. Conclusion Preoperative PALBI grade can affect the achievement of TO after hepatectomy in HCC patients，and it is more difficult for patients with a higher PALBI grade to achieve TO. Preoperative PALBI score can be used to early identify the patients with a high risk of postoperative complications，provide early intervention，and enhance perioperative management，thereby improving the perioperative safety and long-term prognosis of HCC patients after hepatectomy.