Plugging upper and lower tips of hydraulic fracture by forming artificial barrier with diverting agent is as an effective method to prevent hydraulic fracture height from extending excessively. This work, obtained the transient analytical solutions of both fluid pressure decrement generated by artificial barrier (Δp) and equivalent permeability between artificial barrier and reservoir (K) at different positions of hydraulic fracture tips, clarifies parameters that affect the plugging effect of diverting agent on the tips. Seepage velocity that changes with plugging time (t) and maximum seepage distance were acquired by plugging experiments and were used to calculated Δp − t curves and K − t curves. It indicates that the variation rate of Δp and K changes from fast to slow until reaching a balance. However, for different positions of the tips, the time taken by Δp and K to reach balance is different. The diverting agent is suitable for hydraulic fracture beginning plugging when its floating or sinking effect appears relatively obvious and its horizontal migration effect is relatively weak. But if on the contrary, the agent is suitable for the ending plugging. When diverting agent concentration (λ) is lower, the effect of shortening time to complete plugging is more obvious by increasing λ, but the effect is weak when λ is higher because of the excessive accretion. This work has been successfully applied to an oilfield, which increased the production by 68.5% in a month and achieved directional plugging in hydraulic fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]