A directional link maintenance method and a station STA to improve accuracy and timeliness of directional link availability determined by the STA are described. In at least one embodiment, the method includes monitoring, by a first station STA, an information packet, where the information packet carries first identification information, and the first identification information is used to identify a first directional transmit beam that is used a second STA when the second STA sends the information packet; determining, by the first STA, whether the information packet is an information packet that is sent by the second STA to a third STA, and obtaining the first identification information if the information packet is an information packet that is sent by the second STA to the third STA; and determining, by the first STA, whether the first identification information matches preset second identification information.