X-ray focusing methods for X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) are an essential but controversial endeavour, as XAS was devised as a way to average out chemical environment effects over large numbers of atoms. However, focusing becomes necessary when one attempts to study speciation over essential but minute spatial phases, extrapolating the method towards low numbers of atoms. Following progress with X-ray sources and detectors, focusing tools completed the picture, allowing the extraction of seminal speciation results from phases of a few micrometers down to a few tens of nanometers. To do so, one must use high-intensity focused X-ray beams such as those produced by third- and fourth-generation synchrotron sources and track their spatial stability in time to fractions of their footprint, but also delve into sample-damage constraints, as required by the high flux densities employed. The section addresses the various sources of focused beam instabilities and the most frequently used focusing devices for XAS.