In the context of DevOps, an artifact refers to a deployable and versioned output generated during the software development process. It is a crucial component of the continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline, enabling teams to streamline the software delivery process by automating build, test, and deployment activities.

An artifact can take various forms depending on the technology stack and application, but common examples include:

1. Compiled code: Binary files or executable code generated from the source code after the build process.

2. Docker images: Containers that encapsulate the application and its dependencies, making it easy to deploy and run consistently across different environments.

3. Deployment packages: Compressed archives containing application code, configuration files, and other necessary resources for deployment.

4. Virtual machine images: Pre-configured virtual machine snapshots that can be deployed on various virtualization platforms.

5. Data backups: Snapshots or backups of databases, ensuring data consistency during the deployment process.

The creation of artifacts is often the output of the build phase in the CI/CD pipeline. These artifacts are then stored in a repository, such as an artifact repository manager (e.g., Nexus, Artifactory) or a container registry (e.g., Docker Hub, Amazon ECR), where they can be versioned and accessed by different stages of the pipeline or various environments.

Having well-managed artifacts in the DevOps process ensures that every version of the application is traceable, deployable, and reproducible, which contributes to a more efficient and reliable software delivery pipeline.