Stationary shoulder friction stir welding（SSFSW） is an important derivative of friction stir welding（FSW） technology in the field of solid state bonding. It can significantly improve the problems of surface overheating, large temperature gradient and plate thickness thinning in the FSWed joints, which shows great application potential in welding of lightweight alloys, low thermal conductivity material, medium plate and fillet welding structure. In order to form a systematic understanding of the technology, this paper summarizes the main research progress of SSFSW, involving the basic principles, forming characteristics, microstructure and mechanical properties, and then make a prospect for the its development.