Lost circulation is the main technical problem that restricts the improvement of the quality and efficiency of oil and gas drilling engineering. Improving the success rate of one-time plugging is an urgent need to ensure "safe, efficient and economic" drilling in global oilfields. Aiming at the study of drilling fluid leakage mechanism, the drilling fluid leakage mechanism is systematically summarized. Through the research of domestic and foreign scholars in recent years, plugging materials such as bridging, high water loss and curable have been developed. The properties and interaction mechanism of various plugging materials such as bridging, high water loss, curing, polymer gel, etc. are systematically introduced. The existing problems of plugging materials are clarified, and the future development direction of plugging materials is proposed.