The fatigue life of welded joints directly affects the service life of workpieces or equipment,in order to obtain high quality weld,extending the fatigue life of welds has always been a research hotspot. The concept of fatigue life is explained first,then analyzes the cause of fatigue fracture and the process of fatigue fracture. The methods,operation requirements and matters needing attention of improving the fatigue life of welded joints by adjusting key weld appearance details are emphasized. Five methods to improve the fatigue life are discussed in the paper,the ideal weld profiles,weld toe grinding,weld toe hammering,weld toe remelting,grinding the toes and hammering.