Replication capabilities in MySQL originally were based on propagation of SQL statements from master to slave. This is called statement-based logging. You can cause this format to be used by starting the server with --binlog-format=STATEMENT.

In row-based logging, the master writes events to the binary log that indicate how individual table rows are affected. You can cause the server to use row-based logging by starting it with --binlog-format=ROW.

A third option is also available: mixed logging. With mixed logging, statement-based logging is used by default, but the logging mode switches automatically to row-based in certain cases as described below. You can cause MySQL to use mixed logging explicitly by starting mysqld with the option --binlog-format=MIXED.

Mixed logging is the default logging mode.

The logging format can also be set or limited by the storage engine being used. This helps to eliminate issues when logging, and more specifically replicating, certain statements between a master and slave which are using different storage engines.