Soil microbial community drives biogeochemical cycles and is crucial for maintaining soil health and ecosystem sustainability. However, the complexity of microbial community composition and the diversity of microbial functions present significant challenges in classifying and understanding microbial community based on functional traits. Life history strategy theory links microbial metabolic characteristics with ecological processes, providing critical insights into the relationship between microbial communities and ecosystem services. This review systematically summarizes the theoretical frameworks and recent advances in soil microbial life history strategy, outlining the original theories and their developmental trajectory. It focuses on the two-way continuum (r-K life history strategy theory and oligotrophic-copiotrophy life history strategy theory) and the three-way continuum (C-S-R and Y-A-S life history strategy theories), highlighting their conceptual foundations and practical applications in soil microbial community researches. However, current studies primarily rely on descriptive analyses of microbial functional composition, lacking investigations into the dynamic expression and regulation mechanisms of microbial functions. Based on this, we propose future research directions on soil microbial life history strategies to support sustainable agriculture. First, integrating multi-omics technologies is essential for assessing the functional dynamics of microbial community. While current sequencing methods (e.g., amplicon and metagenomic sequencing) can identify potential microbial functions based on the genomic information, they fail to capture real-time microbial activity in fluctuating environments. A combined approach incorporating transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and single-cell Raman spectroscopy can provide deeper insights into real-time gene expression, metabolic processes, and other critical aspects of soil microbial communities. Second, elucidating the molecular mechanisms that regulating the microbial life history strategies is crucial. Microbes dynamically reprogram their functional traits in response to environmental changes, yet the signaling networks and genes governing this reprogramming remain largely unknown. Future research should focus on understanding the interactions among environmental factors, microbial gene expression, and microbial functional investments. Additionally, synthetic biology approaches can facilitate the engineering of programmable microbial strains, enabling precise control over microbial functions in complex ecosystems. Third, expanding current life history strategy theories to incorporate species interactions within ecosystems is necessary. Existing frameworks primarily emphasize microbe-environment interactions while neglecting biotic interactions, particularly in agricultural ecosystems. For example, rhizosphere microbes enhance plant stress resistance and growth by producing plant hormones such as cytokinins, yet these functions are not currently integrated into life history strategy frameworks. Future studies should explore how microbial life history strategies regulate soil-microbe-plant interactions and quantify their contributions to ecosystem services. We emphasize the need to establish a multidimensional, dynamic analytical framework for microbial life history strategies, elucidate the driving mechanisms underlying microbial life history transitions, and refine the response framework of soil microbial life history strategies in agricultural ecosystem services. We advocate for developing microbial life history classification into a core theoretical tool for ecosystem function regulation, providing microbiome-based solutions to address global change and food security challenges.