America's Best Dance Crew is a "reality show" where dance crews from the streets compete for a $100,000 (USD) prize. Each week, the crews are given a challenge. The challenge is different for each crew, but of the same general challenge. For example, one challenge included a set of a school gym, and the crews had to incorporate beats with the props on stage (lockers, bleachers, jump ropes, etc.). Every week there is a performance/results show. Mario Lopez reveals which two crews are in the bottom two.

These two then do the performances they were planning on doing if they were safe and then the judges choose which crew was better and that crew stays while the other crew is eliminated. Since the first season, the winning crews also receive the Golden B-Boy Trophy, a golden statue of a B-Boy doing a freeze, with the legs moving like a bobblehead. During the first two seasons, the third place winner tended to be the "powerhouse" crew many expected to win, referring to Kaba Modern (season 1) and Fanny Pak (season 2). Oddly, during the week 7 challenge, the crew moving on to next week did not win that season referring to Status Quo (season 1), SoRealCru (season 2), Beat Freaks (season 3), and Afroborike (season 4).Ironically,moving on, but not actually winning. Another unique aspect of ABDC are the crew banners.

The logo on the banner represents that crew, appearing on merchandise, appearing in the background for interviews, and also just as a transition effect. When a crew is eliminated, their banner falls off the top of the stadium where the banners of the crews still in the running stand.

In August 2, 2009, as a prologue for the next season, the show premiered a special hosted by Randy Jackson called "The Top 10 Performances of All Time" where Randy Jackson showed his top 10 picks of the first three seasons.