Method for controlling a vehicle external online service (15, 16) using an operating device of a motor vehicle, with the steps: - when a connection to a server device providing the online service (15, 16) is established, generating a list of the online services (15, 16) available on the server device based on vehicle-specific identification data and sending the list to the motor vehicle, wherein the identification data comprise equipment data describing a technical equipment of the motor vehicle and wherein the technical framework conditions of the motor vehicle are taken into account when selecting the online services (15, 16), by the list indicating the online services (15, 16) that are actually operable in the motor vehicle by the user, - retrieving, by the motor vehicle, the online service to be controlled from the server device based on an interface description of the online service (15, 16); - determining vehicle-specific operating elements (13, 14, 19) available at the operating device; - providing converter data comprising a control instruction (G, M) for controlling a selection of a service function (17, 18) of the online service (15, 16) to be controlled based on operation signals of the determined operating elements (13, 14, 19), wherein the server device provides the converter data to the motor vehicle based on a vehicle type of the motor vehicle; - determining an operating input by a user at the operating device; - selecting one of a plurality of service functions (17, 18) of the online service (15, 16) based on the operating input and based on the operating element (13, 14, 19) at the operating device and based on the converter data. - when a connection to a server device providing the online service (15, 16) is established, generating a list of the online services (15, 16) available on the server device based on vehicle-specific identification data and sending the list to the motor vehicle, wherein the identification data comprise equipment data describing a technical equipment of the motor vehicle and wherein the technical framework conditions of the motor vehicle are taken into account when selecting the online services (15, 16), by the list indicating the online services (15, 16) that are actually operable in the motor vehicle by the user, - retrieving, by the motor vehicle, the online service to be controlled from the server device based on an interface description of the online service (15, 16); - determining vehicle-specific operating elements (13, 14, 19) available at the operating device; - providing converter data comprising a control instruction (G, M) for controlling a selection of a service function (17, 18) of the online service (15, 16) to be controlled based on operation signals of the determined operating elements (13, 14, 19), wherein the server device provides the converter data to the motor vehicle based on a vehicle type of the motor vehicle; - determining an operating input by a user at the operating device; - selecting one of a plurality of service functions (17, 18) of the online service (15, 16) based on the operating input and based on the operating element (13, 14, 19) at the operating device and based on the converter data.