Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) small nucleolar RNA host gene 8 (SNHG8) acts as an oncogene in different types of cancer, including prostate, breast and ovarian cancer. SNHG8 promotes the tumorigenesis of CRC; however, its underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. The present study aimed to explore the mechanism of SNHG8 on CRC development via various assays, including western blot, pull-down, PCR and immunofluorescence assays. The results of the present study demonstrated that SNHG8 expression was substantially upregulated in primary tumor tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset. Western blot and immunofluorescence analyses demonstrated that SNHG8 facilitated cell proliferation and autophagy in CRC cells. Notably, the function of SNHG8 in enhancing autophagy was dependent on autophagy-related gene 7 (ATG7). In addition, western blot analysis indicated that the effect of SNHG8 on autophagy in CRC cells was dependent on the miR-588/ATG7 axis. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that SNHG8 promotes autophagy in CRC cells.