The "200 OK" status code is part of the HTTP protocol, which is used for communication between web servers and clients, such as web browsers. When a server responds with "200 OK," it indicates that the request made by the client was successful, and the server has returned the requested resource. This response is commonly seen when a user successfully loads a webpage or retrieves data from an API. In the context of web development, "200 OK" is one of several status codes that inform users and developers about the outcome of their requests. Other status codes, like 404 Not Found or 500 Internal Server Error, indicate different issues. Understanding these codes helps in diagnosing problems and ensuring smooth web interactions.