Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring XML messages within a business process is disclosed. The illustrative embodiments allow a user to define rules and export these rules to a business process management platform, where they can be embedded within a business process. XML messages that are part of the business process (e.g., between an inventory application and a sales forecasting application, etc.) are automatically intercepted and matched against the appropriate rule. When a message matches a rule, the rule's actions are executed and an XML return value is returned to the business process management platform.