FTIR spectroscopy is recognized as a qualitative analytical method to characterize adsorbed CO species on supported metal catalysts. For instance, it allows one to determine the formation of linear, bridged or gem-dicarbonyl CO species on the metal particles and to study the impact of several parameters such as the metal dispersion, the coverage of the metal surface or the presence of co-adsorbed species. Recently, we have used FTIR spectroscopy as a quantitative method to determine kinetic parameters of surface elementary steps involved in catalytic reactions such as CO/O₂ and CO/H₂. The present paper summarizes three applications of the procedure: (a) the determination of the heats of adsorption of specific adsorbed CO species on several supported metal catalysts, (b) the rate constant of oxidation of the L CO species on a Pt/Al₂O₃ catalysts and (c) the rate constant of hydrogenation of the L CO species on a Ru/Al₂O₃ catalyst.