Claude connectors: what they are and how to add one

What a Claude connector does

A connector gives Claude access to something outside the chat: your documents, your tasks, your design files, a payment dashboard, or a service that reads the web for it. With a connector on, you can ask “find last week’s brief in Notion and turn it into a plan” and Claude does the fetching itself.

Under the hood, every connector speaks the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard Anthropic created for connecting AI apps to tools and data. You don’t need to know that to use one, but it explains why one service can work in Claude, ChatGPT and other AI apps.

Anthropic opened a connectors directory in July 2025 with services like Notion, Canva, Stripe, Figma and Asana, and it has grown since.

How to add a connector from the directory

1. In Claude, open Customize › Connectors.
2. Browse or search the directory and pick a service.
3. Click Connect and sign in to that service.
4. Review the permissions it asks for, then approve.

That’s it. Claude can now use the service in any chat where the connector is switched on.

How to add a custom connector

For a service that isn’t in the directory, add it by URL. On Pro and Max:

1. Open Customize › Connectors.
2. Click + Add, then Add custom connector.
3. Give it a name and paste the service’s connector URL, then click Continue.
4. Check the sign-in settings Claude detected and click Add.

Free plans can add one custom connector. On Team and Enterprise plans an owner adds custom connectors for the organization first, then each person connects their own account.

Switch connectors on or off in a chat

Click + in the message box, choose Connectors, and toggle the ones you want for this conversation. Fewer connectors on means fewer chances for Claude to reach for the wrong one.

Which connectors are worth adding

Start with the places your work already lives:

• Documents and notes: Google Drive, Notion.
• Design: Canva, Figma.
• Tasks and projects: Asana, Linear.
• Payments and data: Stripe.
• The web Claude can’t read: Instagram, TikTok and Amazon ask Claude to stay out, and Claude can’t play videos. Puley is a connector that reads them, fetches video transcripts and watches pages for changes.

Stay safe with connectors

Anthropic’s own advice is short and worth following:

• Connect only services you trust. Custom connectors aren’t checked by Anthropic.
• Review permissions when you sign in, and say no to anything a connector doesn’t need.
• Watch for hidden instructions. A malicious service can try to steer Claude; Claude has protections, but pay attention to what tools do.
• Read approval requests before you allow an action, and keep “Allow always” for tools you trust.