Understanding the influence of surface properties (roughness, grooves, discrete textures/dimples) on the performance of hydrodynamically lubricated contacts has been the aim of numerous studies. A variety of different numerical models have been employed by many researchers in order to find optimal texturing parameters (shape, size, distribution) for best performance enhancement in terms of load carrying capacity, film thickness, friction and wear. However, the large number of different modeling techniques and complexity in the patterns make finding the optimum texture a challenging task and have led to contrary conclusions. This article outlines the research effort on surface texturing worldwide, reviews the key findings and, in particular, provides a comparative summary of different modeling techniques for fluid flow, cavitation and micro-hydrodynamic effects. •This article facilitates the application of textures for hydrodynamic contacts.•Functions of surface textures, texture design and modeling techniques are discussed.•Textures must be designed for a given application and range of operating conditions.•Robust models allow the evaluation of texture designs prior to being manufactured.•The three major challenges in numerical modeling are discussed.