The world's tallest flagpole (160 m), over Panmunjeom, North Korea
A flagpole or flagstaff can be a simple support made of wood or metal. If it is taller than can be easily reached to raise the flag, a cord is used, looping around a pulley at the top of the pole with the ends tied at the bottom. The flag is fixed to one lower end of the cord, and is then raised by pulling on the other end. The cord is then tightened and tied to the pole at the bottom. The pole is usually topped by a flat plate called a "truck" (originally meant to keep a wooden pole from splitting) or by a ball or a finial in a more complex shape.

Very high flagpoles may require more complex support structures than a simple pole, such as guy wires, or need be built as a mast. The highest flagpole in the world, at 160 metres, is that at Gijeong-dong in North Korea, the flag weighing about 270 kilograms when dry. The world's biggest regularly hoisted flag, however, is the Brazilian national flag flown in the Square of the Three Powers in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. This flag weighs about 600 kilograms when dry and measures 70 x 100 metres. It can be seen from all parts of Brasilia and its flagpole is the tallest structure in the city. The tallest free-standing flagpole in the world is in Aqaba, Jordan, with a total height of 132 meters. The second tallest free standing flagpole in the world is also in Jordan but in the capital, Amman. It reaches a height of 126 meters, and hoists a flag which measures 60 x 40 meters, and is illuminated at night, and can be seen from 25 km away.

Sometimes a flag hangs from a pole or rope, the latter especially in the case of multiple small flags.

A flag patch is also often sewn on uniforms.