Instant messaging activity notification

A method of communicating user activity in a messaging system. The method comprises: monitoring an input region displayed to a first user of the messaging system in a client executed at a user terminal of the first user; responsive to receiving a user activated input at the input region, analysing the input and using the analysis to match the input to a type of user activity from a predetermined set of user activities; and transmitting a message comprising data representing the type of user activity from the user terminal of the first user to a user terminal of at least one other user of the messaging system over a communications network.