OCI artifact
also: OCI spec artifact, artifact
An OCI artifact is any standardized binary object packaged and distributed using the Open Container Initiative specification, extending beyond just container images to include Helm charts, software bill of materials (SBOMs), and other configuration bundles.
OCI artifacts represent a generalization of the container image format defined by the Open Container Initiative. While container images remain the primary use case, the OCI specification allows any type of binary content—such as Helm charts, policy files, or vulnerability scan results—to be packaged, versioned, and distributed using the same registry infrastructure and authentication mechanisms.
An OCI artifact is stored in a container registry (like Docker Hub or Quay.io) with a manifest that describes its layers, media types, and metadata. For example, you might push a Helm chart as an OCI artifact: helm push my-chart-1.0.0.tgz oci://registry.example.com/charts
This unified approach simplifies the tooling and distribution pipeline: developers can reference, pull, and verify artifacts using familiar registry tools and APIs, regardless of whether they're deploying a container image or retrieving a signed policy document. It eliminates the need for separate artifact repositories and keeps related components together in a single registry.