The present study aims to identify and prioritize the challenges of the digital business ecosystem in rural areas of Ilam Province. In terms of purpose, the research is applied, and in terms of approach, it is qualitative with an exploratory nature. The Delphi method was employed for data collection and analysis. The statistical population consisted of experts familiar with digital entrepreneurship, rural development, and regional planning, including university faculty members, researchers in technology and development fields, experts from relevant governmental organizations, and practitioners involved in digital businesses. Purposeful sampling was used, and 24 experts participated in three rounds of the Delphi process. In the first round, an initial list of challenges related to the digital business ecosystem was extracted through semi structured interviews and open-ended questionnaires. In the second round, the identified indicators were evaluated using a structured questionnaire based on a Likert scale. In the third round, feedback from previous results was provided to the experts to examine the level of agreement and consensus regarding the importance of the challenges. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance, and the challenges were prioritized according to their level of importance. The results indicated that the challenges of the digital business ecosystem in rural areas of Ilam Province can be classified into four dimensions: infrastructural–technological, institutional–policy, economic–market, and socio–cultural. In the infrastructural–technological dimension, weak internet and communication infrastructure, limited access to digital technologies, and the lack of technological support services were identified as major challenges. In the institutional–policy dimension, the absence of effective supportive policies, administrative bureaucracy, and weak institutional coordination were recognized as key barriers to the development of digital businesses. In the economic–market dimension, limited financial resources, difficulties in accessing wider markets, and the lack of appropriate digital marketing mechanisms were identified as significant challenges.