Abstract: A method includes executing a messaging application to generate a messaging session between a user device and an application contact that represents a communication channel with a business's application. The method further includes requesting historical items from one or more remote servers for insertion into the messaging session. The historical items include links that were generated by the remote servers and selected by a user prior to creation of the messaging session. The links are associated with the business's application. The method further includes receiving historical items from one or more of the remote servers, inserting the received historical items into the messaging session, and receiving user selection of one of the historical items. Additionally, the method includes launching an application according to an access mechanism of the selected historical item and setting the launched application state into a state specified by the access mechanism of the historical item.

Abstract: A method includes receiving cards at data processing hardware. Each card represents a collection of application access mechanisms, each application access mechanism having reference to a corresponding application executable on the data processing hardware and indicating a performable operation for the corresponding application. The collection of application access mechanisms has one or more similar application access mechanism attributes. The method also includes displaying a graphical user interface on a display in communication with the data processing hardware, the graphical user interface including card user selectable links. Each card user selectable link is associated with a card and a card access mechanism having a reference to the collection of application access mechanisms represented by the card. The method further includes receiving a user input through the graphical user interface.

Abstract: A method includes receiving cards at data processing hardware. Each card represents a collection of application access mechanisms, each application access mechanism having reference to a corresponding application executable on the data processing hardware and indicating a performable operation for the corresponding application. The collection of application access mechanisms has one or more similar application access mechanism attributes. The method also includes displaying a graphical user interface on a display in communication with the data processing hardware, the graphical user interface including card user selectable links. Each card user selectable link is associated with a card and a card access mechanism having a reference to the collection of application access mechanisms represented by the card. The method further includes receiving a user input through the graphical user interface.

Abstract: A method includes executing a messaging application to generate a messaging session between a user device and an application contact that represents a communication channel with a business's application. The method further includes requesting historical items from one or more remote servers for insertion into the messaging session. The historical items include links that were generated by the remote servers and selected by a user prior to creation of the messaging session. The links are associated with the business's application. The method further includes receiving historical items from one or more of the remote servers, inserting the received historical items into the messaging session, and receiving user selection of one of the historical items. Additionally, the method includes launching an application according to an access mechanism of the selected historical item and setting the launched application state into a state specified by the access mechanism of the historical item.