The topical routes, such as ophthalmic, rectal, vaginal and skin offer certain visible advantages for drug delivery like direct application of drug to the site of action and persistence of action for prolonged periods of time. Skin is one of the most readily accessible and main route for topical drug delivery. Many semisolid preparations, viz. ointments, creams and lotions are available for treating various skin ailments but they suffer from certain demerits like less spreading coefficient, uneasiness caused by sticky nature, less stability and difficulty in application leading to increasing use of gels in cosmetics and pharmaceutical fields. Gels represent semisolid dosage forms, intended for skin application or to some mucosal surfaces either for local action or for emollient properties. Gel is preferred for topical application due to more stability and better application property. The main objective of this article is to review all the information related to gels like structure, properties, characteristics, classification, uses, polymers, formulation, evaluation and future scope of gels.