Nanostructured CdO films were prepared on glass substrates by a surfactant – sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) – assisted SILAR technique. The influence of SDS concentrations of the growth solution on the structural, morphological and optical properties of the films was investigated and discussed. From the metallurgical microscope and scanning electron microscope images, it was seen that the surface morphology of the films are significantly enhanced by SDS addition. XRD investigations confirmed that the films have good crystallinity levels and are grown preferentially in (111) and (200) orientations. UV–vis. spectroscopy investigations showed that the bandgap and transmittance values of the films are affected dramatically by SDS concentrations.