Claude Connectors: The Complete Guide
Claude connectors let Claude reach into the apps you already use — your inbox, calendar, files, notes, and CRM — and actually do work there instead of just talking about it. You connect a tool once, authenticate with your account, and from then on Claude can search your Google Drive, draft a reply in Gmail, find a meeting slot, or pull a record from Slack or Notion, right inside a normal conversation. This guide covers what connectors are, how to add one, which business tools you can connect today, and how to wire up a tool that isn't on the list.
TL;DR
A Claude connector is a secure link between Claude and an outside app. Add one from Customize → Connectors (or the "+" in any chat), pick the tool, and authenticate. First-party connectors like Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Slack, Microsoft 365, and Notion are ready to use with nothing but a sign-in; hundreds more live in the Connectors Directory; and you can add a custom connector to any service that supports MCP. If you want to learn to actually work this way, start with the free Claude Cowork course.
What are Claude connectors?
A connector is how Claude talks to another piece of software on your behalf. Without one, Claude is a very capable chat window. With one, it can read and act inside your real tools — "find the contract in Drive and summarize the payment terms," "draft a reply to this email in my voice," "what's on my calendar Thursday afternoon?"
A few things worth knowing up front:
- Connectors work across Claude everywhere — the web app, the Claude desktop app (including Claude Cowork), Claude Code, and the API.
- They're built on MCP (the Model Context Protocol), the open standard Anthropic uses so any tool can expose its capabilities to Claude in a consistent way. You don't need to know MCP to use a connector — it's just what makes the ecosystem work. (New to it? See our plain-English MCP explainer.)
- Each connector is scoped. You grant specific access (say, read your calendar), you can see what a connector can do before you add it, and you can revoke it at any time.
How to add a connector (step by step)
There are two paths, and both take under a minute.
From a chat:
- Click the "+" button in the lower-left of the chat (or type "/").
- Hover over Connectors and choose Manage connectors.
- Click the "+" next to Connectors.
- Pick your tool and click Connect (or Install).
- Complete the sign-in / authentication prompts.
From settings:
- Go to Customize → Connectors.
- Click the "+" next to Connectors.
- Choose your connector and authenticate.
Once connected, you can toggle individual connectors on or off from the "+" menu in the chat, so Claude only touches the tools you want for a given task.
The business tools Claude connects to
Anthropic ships first-party connectors for the tools most work runs on — these are ready to use with nothing but a sign-in. Beyond those, the Connectors Directory lists many more (browsable by category), some built by Anthropic and many built by the app makers themselves. Here's where the everyday business tools land:
| Tool | What Claude can do | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail | Search, summarize, and draft email | First-party |
| Google Drive | Search and read your files and docs | First-party |
| Google Calendar | Check availability, find and describe events | First-party |
| Slack | Search channels, send and draft messages | First-party |
| Microsoft 365 | Work across Outlook, SharePoint, and Office files | First-party |
| Notion | Read and update pages and databases | First-party |
| Salesforce / HubSpot | Look up and work with CRM records | Directory |
| Google Sheets, Canva, and more | Varies by connector | Directory |
Two grounding rules when you read that table: check each connector's own page in the Directory for its exact read vs. write capabilities before you rely on it, and remember availability changes as Anthropic and third parties ship new connectors — the Directory is the source of truth.
Google Workspace (Gmail, Drive, Calendar)
If your day lives in Google, this is the highest-leverage set to connect first. Add the Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Calendar connectors, authenticate directly with your Google account, and Claude can triage your inbox, pull answers out of your documents, and reason about your schedule. On Team and Enterprise plans, an Owner or Primary Owner has to enable connectors at the account level before individual people can authenticate.
Microsoft 365 (Outlook, SharePoint, Office)
The Microsoft 365 connector brings the same idea to the Microsoft stack — Outlook mail and calendar, SharePoint, and your Office files — so Claude can work where Microsoft-based teams already do. It's a first-party connector; you authenticate with your Microsoft account.
Slack, Notion, and other cloud tools
Slack and Notion are "remote" connectors — they run against the cloud service, so once you connect them they're available everywhere you use Claude with no extra per-device setup. Claude can search a Slack channel and send messages, or read and update Notion pages and databases.
Desktop vs. web connectors
Most business connectors are remote (cloud) connectors: Slack, Notion, GitHub, Linear, and the Google and Microsoft tools. Connect them once and they follow you across the web app, mobile, and desktop. The Claude desktop app can additionally use desktop extensions for capabilities that run locally on your machine. For everyday work — email, files, calendar, CRM — the remote connectors are what you'll reach for.
Custom connectors (connect any tool via MCP)
If the tool you need isn't in the Directory, you can add a custom connector to any service that supports MCP:
- Go to Customize → Connectors and click Add custom connector.
- Enter a name and the connector's URL.
- Optionally add OAuth credentials if the service requires sign-in.
Custom connectors reach your MCP server from Anthropic's cloud. Free accounts can add one custom connector; Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans can add several. This is also the bridge for developers exposing internal systems to Claude — the same mechanism, just pointed at your own MCP server. (Connectors and Agent Skills are complementary: connectors give Claude access to a tool, skills teach it a repeatable workflow.)
Connectors in Claude Cowork
Connectors are what make Claude Cowork feel like a second employee rather than a chatbot — it works across your connected apps and the files on your computer to finish a whole task, not just answer a question. If you're setting up Cowork, connecting your Google or Microsoft account and Slack early is the fastest way to see the difference. Our free course walks through it hands-on, including a lesson dedicated to using connectors in Cowork.
What connectors can't do (and what to verify)
Connectors are powerful, so it's worth being clear-eyed:
- Read and write aren't the same. Some connectors only read; others can act (send a message, create a record). Check the connector's page and watch what you authorize.
- Claude can still be wrong. A connector gives Claude access to real data, but it doesn't stop it from misreading a document or drafting something off-base. Review anything before it's sent or saved — especially email, client messages, and CRM changes.
- Access is yours to control. You can toggle connectors per task and revoke them entirely in settings. On shared plans, admins gate what's available.
- Sensitive data deserves a second thought. Connecting a tool grants scoped access to its data; on regulated or confidential work, confirm your organization's policy before you wire it up.
Used with that judgment, connectors are the single biggest step from "AI that chats" to "AI that does the work."
Frequently asked questions
How do I add a connector in Claude?
Go to Customize → Connectors and click the "+" next to Connectors, or click the "+" in any chat, hover Connectors, and choose Manage connectors. Pick your tool, click Connect, and complete the sign-in prompts. It takes under a minute per tool.
What apps can Claude connect to?
Claude has first-party connectors for Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Slack, Microsoft 365, Notion, GitHub, and Linear, plus hundreds more in the Connectors Directory (including CRM tools like Salesforce and HubSpot). If a tool isn't listed, you can add a custom connector to any service that supports MCP.
Do Claude connectors work with Gmail and Google Drive?
Yes. Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Calendar are first-party Google Workspace connectors. You authenticate directly with your Google account, and Claude can then search files, summarize and draft email, and check your calendar. On Team and Enterprise plans an Owner has to enable connectors first.
Can I connect Claude to a tool that isn't listed?
Yes — add a custom connector. In Customize → Connectors, choose Add custom connector, enter a name and the service's URL, and add OAuth credentials if needed. It works with any service that supports MCP. Free accounts get one custom connector; paid plans can add several.
Are Claude connectors safe to use?
Connectors use scoped, revocable access — you approve what each one can do, toggle them per task, and remove them anytime. On Team and Enterprise plans, an Owner or Primary Owner must enable connectors at the organization level before anyone can authenticate. As always, review Claude's output before it sends or changes anything, and check your organization's policy before connecting sensitive systems.
Start connecting your tools
The fastest way to feel what connectors do is to connect one real tool and give Claude a real task. Connect your Google or Microsoft account, then ask it to summarize an email thread or find a document. When you're ready to build the habit properly, the free Claude Cowork course teaches the whole workflow — connectors included — with no coding required.