The findings presented in this manuscript represent a significant step forward in the understanding of the nucleation and growth mechanisms underlying the formation of Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanoparticles. Employing machine learning applied to an ad-hoc database generated by hand-picking reports published since 2006, we have been able to extract meaningful insights and provide a unified road map for the growth of these materials that can be used as a guide for future research.