<p>This paper comprehensively reviews research progress on additives in novel glass materials, particularly focusing on foam glass, glass&#xa0;ceramics, and foam glass–ceramics. Using keywords such as "novel glass materials," "foam glass–ceramics," and "additives," relevant research papers published up to and including the year 2024 were retrieved from the Web of Science database. Through systematic screening and in-depth analysis, representative papers were selected for commentary. It aims to investigate the impact of additives on material properties, with in-depth analysis of mechanisms such as pore structure formation by foaming agents, melting temperature reduction and melting process enhancement by fluxing agents, and crystal nucleation and growth promotion by nucleating agents. The paper emphasizes the significant influence of additive type, quantity, and action mechanism on the properties of these novel glass materials. The conclusion is that by precisely controlling the composition and preparation of additives, the microstructure and properties of the materials can be optimized, thereby providing a theoretical basis for the application and development of future novel glass materials.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>