Review on analytical methods for lignocellulosic biomass structural polysaccharides. Structural polysaccharides and lignin represent the major part of the lignocellulosic biomass. The characterization of these structural polymers, like cellulose, hemicelluloses and pectins, can be carried out by various global and/or polymer-selective methods. The global methods studied in this review are those of "Van Soest", "Prosky", "Uppsala", "Selvendran" and "non-starch polysaccharides". These global methods are described and compared in order to enlighten their differences, advantages and disadvantages. The Van Soest method is the one presenting the best compromise between the data obtained on the nature of structural polysaccharides constituting the lignocellulosic biomass and the time of analysis required to obtain this piece of information. By adapting this method, it could also give information on the quantity of pectins (expressed as galacturonic acid), on the monosaccharidic composition of the structural polysaccharides and on the quantity of non structural carbohydrates of the lignocellulosic biomass. Some methods selective to one or two structural polysaccharides like cellulose, xyloglucans, xylans, β-glucans, mannanes and pectins are also presented in this review.