diff --git a/docs/src/artifacts.md b/docs/src/artifacts.md
index b0f6dbe6b1..67aef4330f 100644
--- a/docs/src/artifacts.md
+++ b/docs/src/artifacts.md
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 # [**8.** Artifacts](@id Artifacts)
 
+!!! compat "Julia 1.3"
+    Pkg's artifacts functionality requires at least Julia 1.3.
+
 `Pkg` can install and manage containers of data that are not Julia packages.  These containers can contain platform-specific binaries, datasets, text, or any other kind of data that would be convenient to place within an immutable, life-cycled datastore.
 These containers, (called "Artifacts") can be created locally, hosted anywhere, and automatically downloaded and unpacked upon installation of your Julia package.
 This mechanism is also used to provide the binary dependencies for packages built with [`BinaryBuilder.jl`](https://github.com/JuliaPackaging/BinaryBuilder.jl).
diff --git a/src/Artifacts.jl b/src/Artifacts.jl
index 4d6a15899f..50deb6ba2b 100644
--- a/src/Artifacts.jl
+++ b/src/Artifacts.jl
@@ -196,6 +196,9 @@ end
 Creates a new artifact by running `f(artifact_path)`, hashing the result, and moving it
 to the artifact store (`~/.julia/artifacts` on a typical installation).  Returns the
 identifying tree hash of this artifact.
+
+!!! compat "Julia 1.3"
+    This function requires at least Julia 1.3.
 """
 function create_artifact(f::Function)
     # Ensure the `artifacts` directory exists in our default depot
@@ -257,6 +260,9 @@ end
 
 Given an artifact (identified by SHA1 git tree hash), return its installation path.  If
 the artifact does not exist, returns the location it would be installed to.
+
+!!! compat "Julia 1.3"
+    This function requires at least Julia 1.3.
 """
 function artifact_path(hash::SHA1; honor_overrides::Bool=true)
     # Get all possible paths (rooted in all depots)
@@ -279,6 +285,9 @@ end
 Returns whether or not the given artifact (identified by its sha1 git tree hash) exists
 on-disk.  Note that it is possible that the given artifact exists in multiple locations
 (e.g. within multiple depots).
+
+!!! compat "Julia 1.3"
+    This function requires at least Julia 1.3.
 """
 function artifact_exists(hash::SHA1; honor_overrides::Bool=true)
     return any(isdir.(artifact_paths(hash; honor_overrides=honor_overrides)))
@@ -295,6 +304,9 @@ will never attempt to remove an overridden artifact.
 In general, we recommend that you use `Pkg.gc()` to manage artifact installations and do
 not use `remove_artifact()` directly, as it can be difficult to know if an artifact is
 being used by another package.
+
+!!! compat "Julia 1.3"
+    This function requires at least Julia 1.3.
 """
 function remove_artifact(hash::SHA1)
     if query_override(hash) != nothing
@@ -317,6 +329,9 @@ end
 Verifies that the given artifact (identified by its SHA1 git tree hash) is installed on-
 disk, and retains its integrity.  If the given artifact is overridden, skips the
 verification unless `honor_overrides` is set to `true`.
+
+!!! compat "Julia 1.3"
+    This function requires at least Julia 1.3.
 """
 function verify_artifact(hash::SHA1; honor_overrides::Bool=false)
     # Silently skip overridden artifacts unless we really ask for it
@@ -341,6 +356,9 @@ end
 Archive an artifact into a tarball stored at `tarball_path`, returns the SHA256 of the
 resultant tarball as a hexidecimal string. Throws an error if the artifact does not
 exist.  If the artifact is overridden, throws an error unless `honor_overrides` is set.
+
+!!! compat "Julia 1.3"
+    This function requires at least Julia 1.3.
 """
 function archive_artifact(hash::SHA1, tarball_path::String; honor_overrides::Bool=false)
     if !honor_overrides
@@ -485,6 +503,9 @@ end
 Get metadata about a given artifact (identified by name) stored within the given
 `(Julia)Artifacts.toml` file.  If the artifact is platform-specific, use `platform` to choose the
 most appropriate mapping.  If none is found, return `nothing`.
+
+!!! compat "Julia 1.3"
+    This function requires at least Julia 1.3.
 """
 function artifact_meta(name::String, artifacts_toml::String;
                        platform::Platform = platform_key_abi(),
@@ -530,6 +551,9 @@ end
 
 Thin wrapper around `artifact_meta()` to return the hash of the specified, platform-
 collapsed artifact.  Returns `nothing` if no mapping can be found.
+
+!!! compat "Julia 1.3"
+    This function requires at least Julia 1.3.
 """
 function artifact_hash(name::String, artifacts_toml::String;
                        platform::Platform = platform_key_abi(),
@@ -560,6 +584,9 @@ URLs will be listed as possible locations where this artifact can be obtained.
 is set to `true`, even if download information is available, this artifact will not be
 downloaded until it is accessed via the `artifact"name"` syntax, or
 `ensure_artifact_installed()` is called upon it.
+
+!!! compat "Julia 1.3"
+    This function requires at least Julia 1.3.
 """
 function bind_artifact!(artifacts_toml::String, name::String, hash::SHA1;
                         platform::Union{Platform,Nothing} = nothing,
@@ -638,6 +665,9 @@ end
 
 Unbind the given `name` from an `(Julia)Artifacts.toml` file.
 Silently fails if no such binding exists within the file.
+
+!!! compat "Julia 1.3"
+    This function requires at least Julia 1.3.
 """
 function unbind_artifact!(artifacts_toml::String, name::String;
                          platform::Union{Platform,Nothing} = nothing)
@@ -666,6 +696,9 @@ end
                       verbose::Bool = false)
 
 Download/install an artifact into the artifact store.  Returns `true` on success.
+
+!!! compat "Julia 1.3"
+    This function requires at least Julia 1.3.
 """
 function download_artifact(tree_hash::SHA1, tarball_url::String, tarball_hash::String;
                            verbose::Bool = false)
@@ -735,6 +768,9 @@ end
 Given the path to a `.jl` file, (such as the one returned by `__source__.file` in a macro
 context), find the `(Julia)Artifacts.toml` that is contained within the containing project (if it
 exists), otherwise return `nothing`.
+
+!!! compat "Julia 1.3"
+    This function requires at least Julia 1.3.
 """
 function find_artifacts_toml(path::String)
     if !isdir(path)
@@ -774,6 +810,9 @@ end
 
 Ensures an artifact is installed, downloading it via the download information stored in
 `artifacts_toml` if necessary.  Throws an error if unable to install.
+
+!!! compat "Julia 1.3"
+    This function requires at least Julia 1.3.
 """
 function ensure_artifact_installed(name::String, artifacts_toml::String;
                                    platform::Platform = platform_key_abi(),
@@ -825,6 +864,9 @@ Installs all non-lazy artifacts from a given `(Julia)Artifacts.toml` file. `pack
 be provided to properly support overrides from `Overrides.toml` entries in depots.
 
 If `include_lazy` is set to `true`, then lazy packages will be installed as well.
+
+!!! compat "Julia 1.3"
+    This function requires at least Julia 1.3.
 """
 function ensure_all_artifacts_installed(artifacts_toml::String;
                                         platform::Platform = platform_key_abi(),
@@ -901,6 +943,9 @@ end
 Macro that is used to automatically ensure an artifact is installed, and return its
 location on-disk.  Automatically looks the artifact up by name in the project's
 `(Julia)Artifacts.toml` file.  Throws an error on inability to install the requested artifact.
+
+!!! compat "Julia 1.3"
+    This macro requires at least Julia 1.3.
 """
 macro artifact_str(name)
     return quote