Most chat protocols have two (or more) clients connected simultaneously to a central server. Thus, a web browser is also client software.

Similarly, when you click a link on a webpage or enter a URL into a web browser, the browser (for instance Firefox) connects to the server hosting the website and requests the page. That program (for instance Thunderbird) is termed a client because it is connecting to the remote server and fetching the data (your email). You need a program that will connect to that server and fetch the mail. When someone sends you an email, but you are not connected to the Internet, the email is stored on your ISP's mail server. Examples of common client software used in everyday personal computing include web browsers, email clients, instant messenger chat clients, and bittorrent clients. If the server software is running in the background of the client machine, then it is referred to as a daemon. If the computer running the host software is accessed over a network, then the machine hosting it is also referred to as a server. Some thin clients actually have critical software components execute on the remote machine to conserve local resources or software licenses. Usually, client software receives data or instructions from a remote program called a server. A client is a computer program that depends upon another program to function.

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