AbstractTheories of meridional circulation and differential rotation in stellar convective zones predict trends in surface flow patterns on main‐sequence stars that are amenable to direct observational testing. Here I summarise progress made in the last few years in determining surface differential rotation patterns on rapidly‐rotating young main‐sequence stars of spectral types F, G, K and M. Differential rotation increases strongly with increasing effective temperature along the main sequence. The shear rate appears to increase with depth in the sub‐photospheric layers. Tidal locking in close binaries appears to suppress differential rotation, but better statistics are needed before this conclusion can be trusted. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)