<p>Ferroelectric materials can host a variety of unusually stable and well-defined ultrafine polarization patterns. These patterns, referred to as polar topologies, could be useful for future electronic devices. However, a full understanding of how they form, how they can be controlled and how their properties can be applied in practical designs is still lacking. Here we discuss how these polar topological textures can be classified, created and manipulated. We focus on oxide heterostructures, where structural and electronic interactions lead to different polarization behaviours, including changes in polarization patterns, switching processes, phase transitions and predictable motions of polar features. By examining how these features relate to materials design, we highlight recent progress that may guide future device development. Our aim is to clarify the key physical principles that determine the generation and tunability of these polar topological textures and discuss practical opportunities for their use in next-generation materials and devices.</p>