Abstract: The study of near-fault velocity pulse-like ground motions is of great value to revealits damage mechanism, seismic fortification, and seismic design in the near-fault region. In this paper, the formation mechanisms of the pulse are summarized. The idea of distinguishing the pulses caused by the forward directivity effects and fling effects is discussed. Secondly, the identification methods of near-fault velocity pulses are systematically introduced and their advantages and disadvantages are reviewed. In addition, based on the characteristics of the pulse, the influence of the forward directivity effect on the pulse characteristics and the amplification effects of pulses on response spectra are discussed. Finally, the ground motion input and influence of pulses on structures are summarized. And the key questions of the pulse ground motion input are discussed. In the future, the research work of velocity pulse ground motion should be fully integrated with the actual engineering needs, and the standardization of theoretical results and engineering practice should be promoted.