Cleft palate is one of the most common congenital maxillofacial deformities, often affecting the physical and psychosocial function of patients. The goal of cleft palate repair is to reconstruct the palatal structure and restore speech function. This review aimed to demonstrate the historical development of cleft palate repair and discuss the following aspects: two major goals of cleft palate repair, the goals of modern cleft palate repair, the strategy to achieve new goals of cleft palate repair, and the future development of cleft palate repair.