<p>Roll is the primary component on rolling mills responsible for inducing continuous plastic deformation of metals. The quality and service life of roll directly relate to the production efficiency, product quality, and production costs of rolling mills. However, due to the harsh working environment and the influence of its own materials, wear and even scrapping are prone to occur. Laser cladding, with advantages such as low dilution rate, small heat-affected zone, dense cladding layer structure, good bonding with the substrate, and no pollution, is one of the effective methods of repairing roll surface. This article summarizes the research status of laser cladding of roll from five aspects, including the cladding powder materials, cladding process, residual stress of cladding layers, machining of cladding layers, and monitoring and control of cladding process. The existing problems were analyzed and the future development directions of this field were pointed out. The research will further promote the widespread application of laser cladding technology in roll repair, and meeting the demand of green and low-carbon development.</p>