Livelihood activities in and around protected areas influence the effectiveness of conservation. Conservation-compatible livelihoods emerge as a feasible path for synergising conservation and development. They emphasise multifunctional land use to capitalise on ecological and cultural values and productive values under conservation management. In response, this study explores the conservation-compatibility of community livelihood activities, measuring the degree of their synergy with conservation goals and their sustainability. Building on the theoretical framework of conservation-compatible livelihoods, the study firstly interprets the connotation of conservation-compatibility from a comparative perspective. Then by integrating theories of Cultural Ecology, Social-Ecological Systems, and Sustainable Livelihoods, the study proposes a rapid assessment index system which includes four criteria layers of eco-culture, resource management, ecological outcomes, livelihood outcomes, and 12 evaluation indicators. Finally, the study applied methods of analytic hierarchy process and expert scoring to assess the conservation-compatibility of traditional industries in Wuyishan and Qilianshan National Park (Pilot). Results show that this rapid assessment index system enables the preliminary identification of the typical characteristics of livelihood activities and relatively precise recognition of the strengths and weaknesses concerning their synergy and sustainability in achieving conservation goals. Case studies reveal that traditional livelihood activities in national park communities exhibit enduring cultural heritage, robustness in the ecosystem, and stable economic benefits. However, improvements are needed in integrating modern and traditional practices within the resource management system, fostering cooperation among operational entities, and transforming the value of ecological products. The study suggests that, based on the application of the rapid assessment system, a more detailed assessment of ecological, economic, and social effects be conducted, aligned with the overall model of conservation-compatible livelihoods, to explore nuanced aspects of livelihood development.