This application discloses a random access method and apparatus, a terminal, and a network side device, belonging to the field of communication technologies. The method includes: sending a random access first target message, where a transmission parameter of the first target message is associated with position related information of the terminal, or the first target message carries position related information of the terminal, where the transmission parameter of the first target message includes at least one of: sequence information of the first target message; time domain resource information of the first target message; frequency domain resource information of the first target message; and sequence information of a demodulation reference signal included in the first target message.