An artifact is the final output created after the build process. It is the packaged application that is ready for testing, deployment, or release.
Common artifacts include JAR, WAR, EAR, ZIP, and Docker images. Build tools like Maven or Gradle generate these files, which are then stored in an artifact repository such as JFrog Artifactory or Nexus.
In simple words, an artifact is the final application package created from your source code and used for deployment.