Nintedanib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases. Placebo-controlled trials showed that the adverse event profile of nintedanib was characterised mainly by gastrointestinal events, particularly diarrhoea. We review the data from all published real-world studies of the safety of nintedanib in patients with IPF. These real-world data were consistent with the safety profile observed in clinical trials and described in the product label. The most common adverse events were diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, but these infrequently led to permanent treatment discontinuation. Liver enzyme elevations were observed, supporting the recommendation for regular monitoring of liver enzymes, particularly in the first few months of treatment. Bleeding and cardiovascular adverse events were rarely reported. As in clinical trials, in real-world studies, reductions of the nintedanib dose, treatment interruptions and use of anti-diarrhoeal medications were frequently employed to manage adverse events. Few data are available on the use of nintedanib in patients who are elderly or have advanced disease, but there are some data to suggest a greater rate of treatment discontinuation in these patients. Effective management of adverse events associated with nintedanib is important to minimise their impact.