AbstractPattern‐triggered immunity (PTI) is the basal level of defense a plant has against pathogens. In the case of root‐knot nematodes (RKN), PTI relies on the recognition of nematode‐associated molecular patterns (NAMPs) for activation. Nematodes have successfully overcome PTI many times by evolving effector proteins to combat PTI responses. As a result, much study has focused on effector‐triggered immunity (ETI). Here, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of PTI against RKN. A new interest in understanding PTI in response to RKN infection shows that understanding the basal defense responses RKN have overcome provides critical insight into what mechanisms the effectors have evolved to target in the host plant.