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The world has become increasingly telecoupled throughdistant flows of information, energy, people, organisms,goods, and matter. Recent advances suggest thattelecouplings such as trade and species invasion oftengenerate spillover systems with profound effects. To untanglespillover complexity, we make the first attempt to develop atypology of spillover systems based on six criteria: flows fromand to sending and receiving systems, distances from sendingand receiving systems, types of spillover effects, sizes ofspillover systems, roles of agents in spillover systems, and theorigin of spillover systems. Furthermore, we highlight aportfolio of qualitative and quantitative methods for detectingthe often-overlooked spillover systems. To effectively governspillover systems for global sustainability, we propose anoverall goal (minimize negative and maximize positive spillovereffects) and three general principles (fairness, responsibility,and capability). The world has become increasingly telecoupled through distant flows of information, energy, people, organisms, goods, and matter. Recent advances suggest that telecouplings such as trade and species invasion often generate spillover systems with profound effects. To untangle spillover complexity, we make the first attempt to develop a typology of spillover systems based on six criteria: flows from and to sending and receiving systems, distances from sending and receiving systems, types of spillover effects, sizes of spillover systems, roles of agents in spillover systems, and the origin of spillover systems. Furthermore, we highlight a portfolio of qualitative and quantitative methods for detecting the often-overlooked spillover systems. To effectively govern spillover systems for global sustainability, we propose an overall goal (minimize negative and maximize positive spillover effects) and three general principles (fairness, responsibility, and capability).