Abstract: The shear behavior of wood is lower than its other mechanical performance, so the glulam beam may exhibit shear failure under the influence of uncertain various stresses. However, because the study on the shear behavior of glulam beam is complex and limited, the shear design of glulam beam is often overlooked. The state of the art of shear behavior of glulam beams is summarized and analyzed. The influence factors on shear behavior of glulam beam are introduced and analyzed, including the shear span ratio, the size of the component, test method, crack, dry and wet condition etc. Several theoretical approaches of the shear design of glulam beams are classified, summarized and evaluated. The reference is provided for the shear design of glulam beams.