Abstract: The present invention discloses a solution for interacting with applications via an instant messaging client to perform application specific tasks. An instant messaging client refers to any client able to communicate in real-time or near real-time using messages, such as an Instant Messaging (IM) client, a chat client, a text messaging client, and the like. In the solution, a user can establish a “chat session” with an application to perform a variety of tasks without directly interacting with the graphical user interface (GUI) of the application. The user can communicate with the application using messages, which are conveyed from a client across an application program interface (API) to a targeted application, which triggers an application response, which is conveyed back across the API, which is ultimately presented to a user through the client.