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The chromatographic stationary phase remains in place during separation. A porous packing in size-exclusion chromatography supplies internal liquid regions with size-dependent accessibility; ideal separation requires no adsorption of the solute to the packing.

Chromatography separates components of a mixture through different migration rates in contact with a chromatographic stationary phase while a chromatographic mobile phase transports them. Liquid chromatography describes the physical state of the transporting phase; size-exclusion chromatography describes a separation mechanism. Classification by phase and classification by mechanism answer different questions. In ideal size-exclusion chromatography, differential access to liquid-filled pores replaces binding as the source of differential migration.