A method, an apparatus, and a system for configuring a flow table in an OpenFlow network, which can enhance a service switchover adaptation capability of a network system, and improve the working efficiency. The method includes determining, by a control device, a type of a service needing to be forwarded by a switch device; determining, according to the type of the service needing to be forwarded by the switch device and a prestored correspondence between a service type and flow table matching capability information, flow table matching capability information corresponding to the service type, and sending a flow table configuration message to the switch device, where the flow table configuration message carries the flow table matching capability information corresponding to the service type, so that the switch device configures, according to the flow table matching capability information, a flow table required for the service type.