This article presents the recommendations for 24-hour oesophageal pH-metry of the German Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility and the Study Group for Gastrointestinal Functional Disorders and Function Diagnostics of the Austrian Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Indications for the examination, the procedures to be followed, the analysis of the obtained data and the conclusions to be drawn are delineated. The literature on which the recommendations are based is reviewed.