Abstract: The carbon content directly affects the weldability of carbon steel. The influence of the basic characteristics of carbon steel, such as chemical composition, microstructure and mechanical properties, on its welding performance were systematically analyzed. The research progress of traditional welding technologies and novel welding technologies for carbon steel were reviewed, and the advantages and application scenarios of different welding processes were analyzed. With the rapid development of information technology, welding technology is developing rapidly towards digitalization and greenization. In addition, for the defects(cracks, pores, slag inclusions) existing in the welding process, the formation factors and detection methods were analyzed in detail. Optimizing welding process parameters, integrating novel welding technologies and multi-dimensional quality inspection are the keys to improving the performance of carbon steel welded joints.