Connectors

0:12 Claude connectors link Claude to other apps (Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Slack, Notion, Asana, Figma and many more) so it can search, read and act in them with your own permissions; connectors are on every plan, including Free (as of Nov 6, 2026), and you add them from the "+" menu > Connectors or from Customize > Connectors (About connectors). Most are built on the Model Context Protocol (MCP), the open standard Anthropic published for linking AI apps to tools, which is also how you add your own: a custom connector is the address of a remote MCP server.

Quick facts

How do I connect Claude to Google Drive or Gmail?

1. In a chat, click "+", then Connectors (or open Customize > Connectors).
2. Browse the directory and pick the app, for example Google Drive.
3. Click Connect and sign in to that service to grant access.
4. Back in the chat, ask: "find last quarter's budget in my Drive and summarize it".

1:36 Each directory listing shows what the connector can do, whether it can only read or can also write, and on which apps it works (About connectors). Claude acts with the access your account has, nothing more.

Google Workspace: Gmail, Calendar and Drive

Anthropic's own Google Workspace connectors are available to all users on Claude and Claude Desktop (Use Google Workspace connectors):

• Gmail: search, read, draft, send, reply, forward, labels and threads (attachments only as metadata).
• Google Calendar: view calendars (shared ones too), create, change and delete events, find a time that suits everyone, answer invitations.
• Google Drive: search and read Docs, Sheets, Slides, PDFs, images and Office files (as text), upload, organize, share, move and trash, and save Claude's own files to Drive.
• Docs, Sheets and Slides: edit a live file in a pane beside the chat, including comments and suggestions in Docs.

Sending, sharing, moving and trashing ask for your approval by default, and Anthropic says it does not train on Gmail, Drive or Calendar data from these connectors. This is separate from the add-on that works inside Google's own apps, Claude for Google Workspace; Microsoft's side is Claude for Microsoft 365.

Interactive apps in the chat

0:04 Connectors marked Interactive draw a live interface in the conversation instead of text: a Figma file, an Asana board, a Canva design, a Slack message to edit before sending. They launched on Jan 26, 2026 with Amplitude, Asana, Box, Canva, Clay, Figma, Hex, monday.com and Slack, built on MCP Apps, an extension that lets any MCP server deliver an interface. Mobile followed on Mar 25, 2026, and the page now lists them on every plan from Free to Enterprise; press at launch reported paid plans only (9to5Mac), so the newer Anthropic page is the current answer.

Custom connectors (remote MCP servers)

Any remote MCP server can be added as a custom connector on Claude, Cowork and Claude Desktop: in Customize > Connectors add a custom connector and paste the server's URL, then choose how it signs in ("Sign in now", "Sign in when needed", "No sign in", an OAuth client, or request headers). Free accounts are limited to one custom connector. The connection is made from Anthropic's cloud, not your computer, so the server must be reachable on the internet (About connectors). Installing connectors from the mobile app is in beta. Walk-throughs are on How to Connect Claude to MCP Servers.

Desktop extensions (local MCP)

For tools on your own computer (files, a local database, an app with no web API), Claude Desktop and Claude Code use desktop extensions: packages ending in .mcpb that run an MCP server locally, installed from Settings > Extensions. Developers build one with a manifest.json and mcpb pack (Building desktop extensions with MCPB); Team and Enterprise admins have controlled them since Aug 21, 2025. Note that Research cannot use local MCP servers.

Many connectors at once

With 10 or more connectors active, you can switch tool access from Auto to On demand, which loads a connector's tools only when needed and keeps the conversation lighter. Each connector's tools take room in the context, so turning off the ones you are not using also saves usage.

Team and Enterprise controls

An Owner adds a connector for the organization first, and then each person signs in with their own account. Owners can allow reading and block writing; Enterprise-managed authentication (beta) can authorize a connector for the whole organization, and connector permissions per custom role arrived on May 28, 2026 (About connectors).

Connectors, plugins and the directory

Plugins bundle connectors with Skills and subagents for a role (legal, finance, brand voice), and have their own marketplace; a developer portal for submitting them opened on Sep 25, 2026. Anthropic does not publish a count of connectors; its Claude Duet page claims "more than 6,000 connectors and plugins". Developers can reach the same servers from the API through the MCP connector (Claude Code MCP Servers covers Claude Code).

Frequently asked questions

Are Claude connectors free? Yes. Claude connectors are on the Free plan as of Nov 6, 2026, with one custom connector allowed on Free; paid plans can add more custom connectors.

Can Claude read my Gmail? Yes, once you connect Gmail to Claude: it can search and read messages, draft replies and, after you approve, send them. Anthropic says it does not train on Gmail connector data.

What is the difference between a Claude connector and a desktop extension? A Claude connector reaches a service over the internet from Anthropic's cloud; a desktop extension runs an MCP server on your own computer and works only in Claude Desktop and Claude Code.

Can I connect Claude to my own MCP server? Yes. Add it as a custom connector by URL in Claude; it must be a remote MCP server reachable from the internet, or packaged as a desktop extension for local use.

Do connectors work on the Claude mobile app? Yes. Claude connectors work in the mobile apps, and installing new ones from mobile is in beta as of Nov 6, 2026.

Sources

• Getting started with connectors in Claude.ai, Anthropic, Dec 11, 2025 (video)
• Your tools are now interactive in Claude, Anthropic, Jan 26, 2026 (video)
• About connectors, Claude Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Use Google Workspace connectors, Claude Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Building desktop extensions with MCPB, Claude Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Release notes, Claude Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Plans and pricing, claude.com, read Nov 6, 2026
• Your favorite work tools are now interactive connectors inside Claude, claude.com, Jan 26, 2026
• Claude Duet, claude.com, read Nov 6, 2026
• You can now use apps like Slack, Figma and Canva directly inside Claude, 9to5Mac, Jan 26, 2026