A high-dispersed Ag/Fe3O4/g-C3N4 composite photocatalyst is firstly synthesized by means of the selective photo-deposition technique. It exhibits the obvious improvement of photocatalytic activity and stability for degrading tetracycline besides retaining the recycled magnetic property. The enhanced photocatalytic activity originates from synergetic effect of Ag, Fe3O4 and g-C3N4 that improves light absorption capacity and separation efficiency of charge carriers. This work provides a promising approach to develop visible-light-response and recycled photocatalysts applied to antibiotic wastewater treatment. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.