A method of monitoring user usage patterns of a system, comprising the steps of: providing at least one state object (180), the object including a profile representative of user usage; storing the state object at a client location (110); passing, to a central server (120), the state object with each subsequent interaction initiation; and receiving, from the central server, the state object along with the response (170) of the central server, wherein the profile is modified to reflect the interaction between client location and central server. The present invention provides a system and a method for monitoring user usage patterns, and is particularly suited to use in Internet and World Wide Web applications.