Connectors
Connectors let Claude connect directly to your apps and services—reading data, executing actions, triggering workflows—all within conversation, without switching tools. This is the core capability that elevates Claude from "Q&A assistant" to "execution agent."
What Are Connectors
A Connector is an authorization channel between Claude and an external service. Once connected, you can ask Claude directly in conversation to:
- Search emails and draft replies in Gmail
- Check availability and create meetings in Google Calendar
- Create or update pages in Notion
- File issues and view PRs in Linear / GitHub
- Send messages and search history in Slack
Underlying implementation: Connectors are built on Remote MCP (Model Context Protocol). Each connector is essentially an MCP server running in the cloud, exposing a set of tools to Claude.
Availability: claude.ai web version, iOS/Android App, Claude Desktop (Cowork and Code tabs), Claude Code CLI, API.
Connector Types
Pre-built Connectors
Officially built-in, one-click authorization, ready to use. 50+ connectors available, covering these categories:
| Category | Representative Services | Core Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| Google Workspace | Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive | Read emails/draft, check schedule/create meetings, search files |
| Microsoft 365 | Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive | Search emails/docs, view meetings, browse Teams messages |
| Project Management | Linear, Asana, Jira, Notion | Create/query issues, update tasks, search pages |
| Code Hosting | GitHub | View PRs, search code, create issues |
| Communication | Slack | Send messages, search history, read channels |
| Design Tools | Canva, Figma | View design files (some support interactive rendering) |
| CRM / Sales | Salesforce, HubSpot | Query records, update contacts |
Interactive marker: Some connectors support rendering dynamic interfaces directly in conversation (kanban boards, dashboards, design previews), not just text responses.
Custom Connectors (Remote MCP)
If your tool doesn't have a pre-built connector, you can build one yourself:
- Develop an MCP protocol-compliant server (supports HTTP + SSE)
- Deploy to a publicly accessible address (Anthropic cloud needs to reach it)
- Enter your MCP Server URL and OAuth credentials in Claude settings
- Use your custom tools in conversation
For internal services, add Anthropic's egress IPs to your firewall whitelist. See Remote MCP development docs.
Quick Start
Step 1: Open the Connectors Directory
Path A (In conversation): Click the + button at the bottom-left of the conversation → Select Connectors
Path B (Settings page): Settings → Customize → Connectors → Browse directory
Step 2: Connect a Service
- Find your target connector, click to view its capabilities and read/write permissions
- Click Connect (for pre-built) or Install (for remote MCP)
- Complete the OAuth authorization flow (redirects to the service's login page)
- After authorization, the connector appears in your installed list
Step 3: Enable in Conversations
Installed connectors won't automatically activate in all conversations. In conversations where you want to use them:
- Click the
+button and check the connectors to enable - Or just describe your task—Claude will prompt you to enable relevant connectors
Step 4: Just Describe Your Task
With connectors activated, simply express your needs in natural language:
Help me check emails from acme.com in Gmail this week,
extract all content mentioning delivery dates,
then create an "Acme Follow-up" page in Notion to record them.Claude will automatically call the Gmail connector to search emails, then call the Notion connector to create the page.
Key Connectors in Detail
Google Workspace
Gmail
- Search emails using natural language ("emails from Alice about budget last week")
- Draft emails (Claude generates drafts, you must manually send—Claude cannot send on your behalf)
- Read attachment info, manage labels and threads
- List saved drafts
Google Calendar
- View events on personal and shared calendars
- Create, edit, delete events with support for recurrence rules
- Find common availability across multiple participants
- Manage attendee lists, respond to invitations
Google Drive
- Search and retrieve document content (text extraction only, doesn't process images)
- Add documents to current conversation or Project
- View file permissions and recent changes
- Save Claude-generated files directly to Drive (requires code execution enabled)
Microsoft 365
Read-only access—Claude can retrieve and analyze, but cannot modify, delete, or create content:
- Outlook: Search email threads, track project progress and customer feedback
- Teams: Read channel messages and chat history you participate in
- SharePoint / OneDrive: Cross-site search and analyze documents
- Calendar: Read meeting summaries and attendee info, prepare for upcoming meetings
GitHub
- Search code repositories, view file contents
- Create issues, view PR status and comments
- Search commit history
Note for Claude Code users: In CLI, connecting GitHub via MCP offers more features, including write operations like creating PRs and merging.
Slack
- Search channel message history
- Send messages to specified channels or DMs (requires your confirmation before execution)
- Read thread replies
Linear / Asana / Jira
- Create, query, update issues and tasks
- Search project boards
- Get sprint status
Combining Connectors with Projects
Connectors work best when used within Projects:
- Connect Google Drive in a Project—Claude can continuously access all documents for that project
- Connect Linear in a Project—Claude remembers the project's issue conventions and priority standards
- Combine with Project custom instructions for unified workflow standards
Example: Create a "Q2 Product Planning" Project, connect Google Drive (requirement docs) + Linear (task management), making Claude a project assistant that can read requirements and sync task creation simultaneously.
Connectors + Scheduled Tasks
Connectors can work with scheduled tasks for automated workflows:
Every Monday at 9 AM:
- Read customer emails from last week in Gmail (Gmail connector)
- Summarize key issues and pending items
- Create "Customer Weekly Report" page in Notion (Notion connector)
- Send Slack notification to team (Slack connector)Cloud scheduled tasks (created via /schedule) carry your authorized connector permissions and don't require your computer to be on.
Permissions and Security
Permission Model
- Each connector independently authorized: Connecting Gmail doesn't mean authorizing Calendar—each service has separate OAuth
- Principle of least privilege: Claude can only access content you have permission to access in your account
- Read/write distinction: Connector detail pages clearly mark which operations are read-only and which write data
- Confirmation before action: For write operations (send messages, create issues, modify calendar), Claude shows the action plan and waits for your confirmation
Notes for Teams and Enterprises
- Team / Enterprise plans: Organization owners must first enable Connectors in Organization Settings before members can authorize and use them
- Data transfer: All connector data transfers are encrypted
- Disconnect: Revoke service authorization anytime in
Settings → Connectors
Best Practices
- Periodically review connected services and disconnect unused connectors
- Don't enable connectors with personal email in shared Projects (other members may trigger queries)
- For services with sensitive data (like financial systems), use a dedicated account rather than your personal primary account for authorization
FAQ
Q: Do Connectors cost extra?
No. Connectors are included in Pro (and above) subscriptions at no additional cost.
Q: Can connectors access all my data in a service?
Only data you have permission to access. After connecting Google Drive, Claude can only read files you have access to—it cannot bypass the original service's permission controls.
Q: Will Claude automatically operate my services without my knowledge?
No. For write operations (draft emails, create events, send Slack messages), Claude will present an action plan and wait for your confirmation before executing.
Q: Can my company's internal systems use Connectors?
Yes, via custom Remote MCP, but your MCP server must be publicly accessible (or add Anthropic egress IPs to your whitelist).
Q: How do I use connectors in Claude Code CLI?
Claude Code connects tools via MCP integration (claude mcp add). This is a different entry point than the claude.ai Connectors UI, but the underlying protocol is the same. See MCP Integration chapter.