In-message applications in a messaging platform

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions that are operable when executed by a system of one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

• receiving, from a developer client device, at a social messaging platform, a layout defining a visual structure of an in-message application, the visual structure specifying placement of a plurality of components associated with particular web content, wherein the received layout is platform independent;
• assigning an identifier for the layout;
• providing the identifier to the developer client device for insertion into the particular web content;
• receiving message content authored by a user from a client computing device for broadcast on the social messaging platform, wherein the message references the particular web content;
• rendering a preview of the message based on the visual structure defined by the layout including:
• obtaining a portion of content from the particular web content and incorporating the portion of content according to the layout, wherein rendering the preview of the message comprises examining the particular web content referenced by the received message content, and in response to identifying the provided identifier in the particular web content, obtaining the portion of content;
• publishing the message in response to input received from the client computing device;
• generating a platform dependent template based on the platform independent layout;
• and
• sending the platform dependent template to a requesting client computing device, whereby the platform dependent template provides the visual structure for reading by the requesting client computing device.

A system comprising one or more computing devices programmed with software that when executing causes the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:

• receiving, from a developer client device, at a social messaging platform, a layout defining a visual structure of an in-message application, the visual structure specifying placement of a plurality of components associated with particular web content, wherein the received layout is platform independent;
• assigning an identifier for the layout;
• providing the identifier to the developer client device for insertion into the particular web content;
• receiving message content authored by a user from a client computing device for broadcast on the social messaging platform, wherein the message references the particular web content;
• rendering a preview of the message based on the visual structure defined by the layout including:
• obtaining a portion of content from the particular web content and incorporating the portion of content according to the layout, wherein rendering the preview of the message comprises examining the particular web content referenced by the received message content, and in response to identifying the provided identifier in the particular web content, obtaining the portion of content;
• publishing the message in response to input received from the client computing device;
• generating a platform dependent template based on the platform independent layout;
• and
• sending the platform dependent template to a requesting client computing device, whereby the platform dependent template provides the visual structure for reading by the requesting client computing device.