How to Use Claude Connectors: Add, Allow and Manage Them

Claude connectors let Claude reach into the apps you already use, read what is there and, if you allow it, take actions. Anthropic’s help center describes them in one line: “Connectors let Claude access your apps and services, retrieve your data, and take actions within connected services” (Claude Help Center).

To use one, you add it once (from the connector directory or by pasting a URL), sign in to the service, then switch it on in any chat with the + button. This guide walks through each step, the settings that decide what Claude can do on its own, and how connectors behave on your phone and in Claude Code. Menu names below match Anthropic’s help articles as of November 2026.

What Claude connectors are

Under the hood, a connector is an MCP server: a small service that tells Claude which tools it can call, like “search my Notion pages” or “read the latest messages in this chat”. Anthropic adopted the open Model Context Protocol so that one connector works across Claude on the web, Claude Desktop, the Claude mobile apps and Claude Code.

Two details are worth knowing before you start:

• Claude inherits your permissions. A connector can only see what your own account in that service can see. It does not get admin access you do not have.
• Connections run from Anthropic’s cloud. For web connectors, the server must be reachable on the public internet, even when you use Claude on your phone.

The three kinds of connectors

Kind	How you add it	Reviewed by Anthropic	Where it works
Directory connector	Pick it from the directory	Yes, listed after review	Web, Desktop, mobile, Claude Code
Custom connector	Paste a remote MCP server URL	No, marked “Custom”	Web, Desktop, mobile, Claude Code
Desktop extension	Install a .mcpb file in Claude Desktop	Depends on the source	Claude Desktop and Claude Code only

The directory is the easiest place to start. It lists more than a thousand connectors at claude.com/connectors, including Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, Notion, Canva, Figma, Slack, Atlassian, HubSpot, Asana and Linear. Some listings carry a Verified label, which Anthropic says means it tested the tools, while adding that “it isn’t a security audit.”

A custom connector is any remote MCP server you add yourself by URL. That is how you connect services that are not in the directory yet, including ConnectChats.

Desktop extensions are local servers packaged as .mcpb files (formerly .dxt) that run on your computer. They are useful for things like local files, but they do not follow you to the web or your phone.

How to add a connector from the directory

1. In Claude, open Customize, then Connectors.
2. Browse or search the directory and pick the service you want.
3. Click to connect it. Claude sends you to the service to sign in and approve access.
4. Back in Claude, the connector appears in your list, ready to switch on in a chat.

If you are on a Team or Enterprise plan, your organization’s owners decide which connectors members can use, so a connector you expect may be missing until an owner adds it.

How to add a custom connector

Custom connectors are available on Free, Pro, Max, Ultra, Team and Enterprise plans. Free users are limited to one custom connector (Claude Help Center).

On a Pro or Max plan, the steps from Anthropic’s help article are:

1. Navigate to Customize > Connectors.
2. Click + Add, then Add custom connector.
3. Enter a name for the connector. This is the name you will see in your connectors list.
4. Add the connector’s remote MCP server URL and click Continue.
5. Review the authentication settings Claude detected, change them only if the provider tells you to, and click Continue.
6. Choose how you sign in (for most services, Sign in now), keep the recommended OAuth client option, and click Add.

You cannot edit the authentication settings of a connector after adding it. If something is wrong, remove it and add it again.

Team and Enterprise: an owner adds the connector once under Organization settings > Connectors, clicks Add, hovers over Custom and selects Web, then enters the same name and URL. Members then go to Customize > Connectors, find the connector (it usually has a “Custom” label) and click Connect to sign in with their own account.

For a picture-by-picture version, see our guide on adding a custom connector to Claude.

How to turn a connector on in a chat

Adding a connector does not mean Claude uses it everywhere. In any conversation:

1. Click the + button at the lower left of the message box.
2. Open Connectors.
3. Use the toggles to switch each connector on or off for this conversation.

The same menu has a Tool access setting. Auto (the default) lets Claude load connector tools as it needs them. On demand is the better choice once you have ten or more connectors, because it keeps Claude from considering dozens of tools it does not need.

Then just ask. “What did I promise the client in last week’s emails?” works with Gmail on. “Summarize what I missed in the family group since Sunday” works with a WhatsApp connector on.

How to control what Claude can do on its own

Each connector has per-tool permissions. In Customize > Connectors, select a connector to see its tools, and set each one to:

• Always allow: Claude uses it without asking.
• Needs approval: Claude asks you first, every time.
• Blocked: Claude cannot use it.

A sensible default: allow tools that only read (search, list, fetch), and require approval for anything that writes, sends, deletes or pays. Anthropic’s own advice is to choose “Allow always” only “when using a server and tool that you trust to run unsupervised.” On Team and Enterprise plans, owners can set these restrictions for everyone, and members cannot override them.

One thing to watch: Anthropic notes that Research mode “can invoke tools from your connectors automatically without further approval,” so turn off write tools before you start a research task.

Using connectors on your phone

Connectors follow your account. Anthropic says that once you connect a service on the web or in Claude Desktop, “it will be available to use the next time you log in to your account on Claude for iOS or Android.” Installing new connectors directly from the mobile app is in beta, so the reliable path is still: add on the web, use anywhere.

This is where remote connectors beat desktop extensions. A WhatsApp connector added on your laptop is there when you open Claude on the train.

Using connectors in Claude Code

Claude Code uses the same servers from the command line. To add a remote one:

claude mcp add --transport http connectchats https://app.connectchats.com/mcp

Then run /mcp inside Claude Code to sign in. Servers can be saved for one project or for your user account. Our guide to adding an MCP server to Claude Code covers the scopes, and the Claude Code page shows what you can do with your chats from the terminal.

Staying safe with connectors

A connector gives an AI the ability to act with your account, so treat it like installing an app. Anthropic’s guidance for custom connectors is direct:

• “Only connect Claude to servers built and hosted by organizations and applications you trust.”
• “Review requested permissions carefully,” and deny access “if requested permissions seem unnecessary.”
• “Be aware of prompt injections: malicious MCP servers may include hidden instructions that try to make Claude perform unintended actions.”
• “Monitor changes in tool behavior,” because server developers can update their tools.

For chat data in particular, look for three things: you choose which conversations are shared, nothing is sent without your approval, and the provider explains how stored messages are protected.

Example: connecting WhatsApp to Claude

ConnectChats is a custom connector that gives Claude access to the chats you choose, from WhatsApp and Telegram to Signal, Slack and Discord.

1. Open app.connectchats.com, sign in with your passkey and choose Link a chat app, then WhatsApp. On your phone, open WhatsApp, go to Linked devices, tap Link a device and scan the QR code, the same way you link WhatsApp Web.
2. Turn on Share with my AI for the chats you want Claude to see.
3. In Claude, go to Customize > Connectors, click + Add, then Add custom connector. Name it “ConnectChats”, paste https://app.connectchats.com/mcp, click Continue, keep the detected sign-in settings and click Add. Sign in with your passkey and allow access.
4. In a chat, click +, open Connectors and switch ConnectChats on.

Now you can ask Claude to summarize a WhatsApp group, find an old message or draft a reply. Drafts wait for your OK before anything is sent (send with approval), you pick which chats Claude can see (choose shared chats), and stored messages are encrypted with a key that only your passkey can unlock. The full setup is on the WhatsApp to Claude page.

FAQ

Are Claude connectors free?

Directory and custom connectors work on every Claude plan, including Free, but the Free plan is limited to one custom connector. The service you connect may have its own pricing.

What is the difference between a connector and an MCP server?

They are the same technology seen from two sides. “Connector” is Claude’s name for an MCP server you have added. ChatGPT calls the same thing a plugin with a custom MCP server, and Grok calls it a connector too.

Why does Claude not use my connector?

Check that the connector is switched on for this conversation (+ then Connectors), that you are signed in (the connector shows a Connect button if not), and that the tool you need is not set to Blocked. With many connectors, try Tool access: On demand and name the service in your request.

Can Claude send messages or emails without asking me?

Only if you set that tool to Always allow. Leave sending tools on Needs approval. ConnectChats adds its own safeguard: sending creates a draft you approve, unless you turned on auto-send for that specific chat.

Do connectors work in the Claude mobile app?

Yes. Connectors you add on the web or in Claude Desktop are available in Claude for iOS and Android. Desktop extensions are the exception; they only run on the computer where you installed them.