Infrared spectroscopy has characteristics of rapid, economical and highly efficient, and it is also a high-tech widely used in geological prospecting work in China and abroad in this field. By studying the differential absorption characteristics of minerals in the infrared band, infrared spectral mapping and spectral parameter analysis were carried out to determine the characteristic mineral assemblages in the mineralized area and the range of mineral spectral parameters that pointed to the center of the mineralized hydrothermal fluid. In recent years, with the development of spectral resolution and the optimization of unmixing algorithms, more and more bands have been used to extract rock and mineral information. The developed mature short-wave infrared technology（SWIR，1 100~2 500 nm）can identify the medium and hypothermia clay minerals such as kaolinite, alumite and chlorite effectively, it has established indicators in porphyry, epithermal, VMS and other deposits; Thermal infrared technology ( TIR, 6~15 μm) has better detection ability mainly for mega thermal minerals such as feldspar, quartz, garnet and pyroxene, and has an excellent performance well in skarn deposits in recent years; mid-infrared technology (MIR, 3~6 μn) is still in the research in the prospecting and exploration work in the field of geology, and amount of mineral information extraction methods has not been formed. In this study, with the development history of infrared spectroscopy technology, the causes of waveform changes in various bands, commonly used spectral parameters and their characterization meanings, four types of testing instruments, and analysis software. Chlorite, garnet and carbonate minerals are four mineral spectral features often used as prospecting indicators. It discusses the two core contents of infrared spectroscopy technology in mineral exploration work and the main problems. Finally, this paper puts forward some suggestions for the application of infrared spectroscopy technology in future geological prospecting: strengthening the verification of laws, establishing multi-band and multi-platform comprehensive spectral exploration model, and comforming a spectral database and parameter extraction standards for mining areas.