Soft electroactive (SEA) materials exhibit remarkable electric-responsive deformation capabilities, enabling their widespread applications in flexible devices. This presentation highlights recent theoretical advancements in the indentation mechanics of SEA media, covering homogeneous SEA half-space, SEA layer-substrate system, layered SEA half-space, and constrained electroactive gel (EAG). First, by using new results in the potential theory, three-dimensional exact solutions are derived for the adhesive contact between a pre-deformed compressible SEA half-space and a rigid axisymmetric indenter (e.g., flat-ended, conical, and spherical). A modified JKR model is employed to account for variations in surface adhesion energy. Second, we further address the indentation of a pre-deformed SEA layer on an elastic substrate, formulated into Fredholm integral equations by using the Hankel transform. These equations are numerically solved through a finite-difference scheme incorporating the modified JKR model. Then, we develop a semi-analytical method for characterizing layered SEA structures, integrating the Fourier-Bessel series system of vector functions, the dual-variable and position method, and the Green’s function. Taking the flat-ended indenter as an example, this approach is applied to analyse the three-dimensional responses of layered half-spaces with interfacial imperfections. Finally, we examine the frictionless contact between a rigid spherical indenter and a block of constrained swollen EAG subjected to a transverse electric field. A newly derived surface Green’s function is utilized to incorporate energy penalties related to surface tension into the classical JKR framework. Theoretical predictions are validated through finite element simulations, illustrating how biasing fields influence key indentation characteristics such as eccentricity, pull-out force, and critical separation distance. A novel critical criterion is proposed to address surface instability in orthotropic materials, offering a more comprehensive framework for characterizing SEA materials. Collectively, this framework establishes a solid foundation for the characterization of SEA materials, with significant implications for their application in advanced engineering solutions.