AbstractIncreasing industrial importance of xylanolytic enzymes together with recent evidence for cereal endoxylanase inhibitors having a negative impact on the application of enzymes in fodder and food industries, brings challenges to facilitate and simplify the procedures to follow these enzymes. This article gives a critical evaluation of current methods and outlines new methodological alternatives to follow the major depolymerising enzyme, endo‐β‐1,4‐xylanase using chromogenic substrates. Attention is paid also to assays of three accessory xylanolytic enzymes α‐glucuronidase, acetylxylan esterase and feruloyl esterase, for which new enzyme‐coupled assays were elaborated. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry