Rechargeable aqueous zinc-based batteries (RZBs) often suffer from poor cycling stability due to the instability of zinc deposition and etching processes. This work achieves dendrite-free zinc deposition with a smaller nucleation radius and rapid completion of the nucleation stage by a “triple regulation strategy” with trace chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) in ZnSO4 electrolyte (2 g L−1 COS). Theoretical and experimental results indicate that COS, with hydroxyl and amino functional groups, exhibits a high affinity for the (002)Zn and (100)Zn facets. Under the influence of a small amount of COS, the selective exposure of the (101)Zn facet is facilitated. The extensively exposed (101)Zn facet is protected by COS, which inhibits the occurrence of side reactions. Moreover, the presence of trace COS-02 changes the etching mode from three-dimensional (3D) to two-dimensional (2D), ensuring a uniform distribution of Zn2+ in the electric field during the deposition process. The unique 3D deposition and 2D etching mechanism induced by the COS additive result in exceptional cycling stability, exceeding 3800 h (1 mA cm−2) and 430 h (5 mA cm−2) in zinc symmetrical cells. Additionally, COS acts as a “molecular pillar” to stabilize VS2, enabling the Zn||VS2 full cell to achieve 1000 stable cycles with 89.6% capacity retention and an average coulombic efficiency of 99.95%. This work reveals a novel multiple regulation mechanism by using trace COS in RZBs, and provides a new approach for the development of long-term stable RZBs with preferential exposure facets.