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How to add connectors to Claude

Connectors let Claude work with the apps you already use, from your inbox to your issue tracker. This guide shows how to add one from Anthropic's directory, add a custom one by URL, decide what it may do and remove it again.

Updated 30 October 2026

These steps were checked against Anthropic's help pages on 30 October 2026. Claude's menus change often, so labels may differ slightly as of your visit.

Add a connector from the directory

1. Open Customize > Connectors and click the + next to Connectors. From a chat, you can also click + (or type /), hover over Connectors and choose Manage connectors.
2. Browse by category or scroll the full list. An Interactive badge means it can show live cards or apps inside the chat.
3. Click the connector, read its description and click Connect.
4. Sign in to the service when asked and approve the access.
5. Adjust any settings or permissions it offers.

Claude only gets what your own account in that service can reach. For a worked example with Gmail, Calendar and Drive, see how to connect Claude to Google Drive.

Switch connectors on in a chat

1. In a chat, click + (or type /) and hover over Connectors.
2. Toggle on the services you want for this conversation.
3. Ask in plain words, for example "create an issue for this bug" with an issue tracker connected. Claude picks the right tool when it's relevant.

The same menu has Tool access, set to Auto by default. If you have ten or more connectors active, Anthropic suggests switching it to On demand.

Add a custom connector by URL

If a service isn't in the directory but offers a remote MCP server, you can add it yourself.

1. Go to Customize > Connectors and click Add, then choose the custom connector option (shown as Custom > Web, or Add custom connector).
2. Enter a name and the server's URL, then click Continue.
3. Check the sign-in settings Claude detected and click Continue.
4. Under Authentication, choose Sign in now, Sign in when needed or No sign in. If you sign in, Anthropic recommends Use Claude's published identity as the OAuth client.
5. If the server uses an API key or token instead of a sign-in, add it under Request headers. It's stored encrypted.
6. Click Add and finish connecting.

On Team and Enterprise plans, an owner adds the custom connector under Organization settings > Connectors, and each member then finds it in Customize > Connectors and clicks Connect.

Set what a connector may do

On Team and Enterprise plans, an owner opens Customize > Connectors, selects the connector and goes to Tool permissions. Tools are grouped, for example into read-only and write or delete. For a group or a single tool, choose Always allow, Needs approval or Blocked. The settings apply to the whole organization, members can't override them, and they can only narrow what the service itself already allows. On any plan, keep an eye on the approval requests Claude shows before a tool runs, and switch off tools you don't need.

One exception: during Research, Claude uses connector tools without asking, so switch off tools that can change data before you start a Research run.

Remove a connector

1. Go to Customize > Connectors.
2. Click the connector and choose to disconnect it, or use Remove or the three-dot menu next to a custom connector.
3. Follow the prompts to confirm.

To change a custom connector's URL or sign-in, remove it and add it again. You can also revoke Claude's access from the security settings of the other service.

Good to know

• Plans: directory connectors work for all users on the web, Claude Desktop and the mobile apps. Custom connectors work on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise, but Free is limited to one.
• At work: an owner enables a directory connector under Organization settings > Connectors > Browse connectors > Add to your team. Members can ask for one with Request on its directory page, if the organization allows requests.
• Security: a connector's tools can read, create, change or delete data for you. A malicious server can hide instructions in its responses, so watch what tools do and connect only to servers you trust.

If it doesn't work

• A custom connector won't connect or times out. Anthropic's cloud makes the connection, not your computer, so the server must be reachable from the public internet. Servers behind a VPN or firewall fail unless Anthropic's IP addresses are allowlisted.
• Sign-in failed. Disconnect the service in Customize > Connectors and connect it again. For a custom connector, remove it and add it back, checking the sign-in settings.
• Claude doesn't use the connector. Make sure it's toggled on for that chat and the tool isn't blocked.
• A work connector is missing. An owner has to add it to the organization before members can connect.

A connector for your AI chats

The Workbranch connector for Claude is a custom connector of this kind: once it's added, say "save this to Workbranch" and Claude files the chat's tasks, decisions, open questions and ideas into a project in Workbranch, by topic.

Sources

• Use connectors to extend Claude's capabilities (Claude Help Center, checked 30 October 2026)
• Get started with custom connectors using remote MCP (Claude Help Center, checked 30 October 2026)
• Use research on Claude (Claude Help Center, checked 30 October 2026)

Frequently asked questions