The advantages of the combined (Q)EXAFS/XRD technique are discussed with focus on recent studies where the technique has given additional insight into catalyst properties. XRD and also more recently EXAFS have become routine techniques in catalysis research. However, by use of a combination of the two methods both the long and the short range ordered structures can be probed enabling a much better description of many catalysts. Of vital importance is also the possibility to perform the studies in situ, revealing structural information directly related to the active state of the catalyst. Time dependent changes of both the crystalline and the amorphous phases in catalysts can be followed by using a technique which combines EXAFS in the quick scanning mode (QEXAFS) and XRD using a position sensitive detector.