Aqueous zinc-ion batteries with high safety and cost effectiveness have received much attention for large-scale energy storage. However, the inevitable dendrite growth derived from uneven zinc stripping/plating severely impedes practical application. In this work, we use controllable electrodeposition to construct a continuous and compact ZIF-8 protective layer and investigate the relationship between the morphology of the deposition layer and the zinc plating behavior. A continuous and insulating protective layer with suitable thickness can induce bottom deposition, and a prolonged battery life of over 5000 cycles at 10 mA cm-2 for 1 mA h cm-2 is achieved.