How to Add Connectors in Claude: Directory, Custom URL and Safety
11 min read
Most people who want Claude to see their calendar or their documents search for a long time, find a page full of technical words, and give up. The process is shorter than it looks. You open one page, pick the service, sign in and turn it on in the conversation.
Adding a connector takes about two minutes. Deciding what Claude may do with it is the part worth your time.
This guide shows both ways to connect: from the directory, which is where to start, and by web address when the service you want is not listed. It also covers the settings that keep you in control. If the word MCP is new to you, read What Is MCP? first. It takes five minutes.
Before you begin
You need two things:
A Claude account, signed in on claude.ai or in the Claude desktop app
An account with the service you want to connect. The service is run by its provider, and it may require its own account or a paid plan
On Team and Enterprise plans, an Owner of the organization adds a connector for everyone, and members then connect with their own account. If you are a member and cannot add one, ask an Owner.
Option 1: Add a connector from the directory
The directory lists the connectors that Anthropic and other providers offer. This is the simplest and most reviewed route, so check here first.
- 1
Open the Connectors page
Go to Customize, then Connectors. On claude.ai the address is claude.ai/customize/connectors. In the desktop app, choose Customize in the sidebar, then Connectors.
- 2
Find the connector
Select Discover to browse. Type a service name in Search connectors, or look through the categories, then select a connector to open its page. Each listing carries a Verified or Community label.
- 3
Start the connection
Select Connect to Claude. Some connectors first ask for details, such as a server address or the region your account is hosted in. Enter them and continue.
- 4
Sign in to the service
Claude takes you to the service's sign-in page. On claude.ai it opens in the same tab. In the desktop app it opens in your browser. Sign in, read the access Claude asks for, and approve it.
- 5
Confirm it is connected
Back on the Connectors page, the connector is listed under Your connectors with the status Connected.
A connector that does not use sign-in connects as soon as you select the button, with no page to visit.
Verified or Community?
A Verified label means Anthropic has checked the connector. A Community label means it comes from another provider and has not been verified the same way. Prefer Verified when two options do the same job.
Option 2: Add a custom connector by URL
Use this when the service you want is not in the directory, and you have the address of its remote MCP server. The address is an HTTPS link, for example https://mcp.example.com/mcp.
Custom connectors reach unverified services
A connector you add yourself connects Claude to a service nobody at Anthropic has reviewed. Claude can read and act in it. Add one only from an organization you trust.
On a Free, Pro or Max plan
You add custom connectors to your own account. The Free plan allows one custom connector.
- 1
Open Customize, then Connectors
Go to Customize > Connectors.
- 2
Add a custom connector
Click Add custom connector.
- 3
Enter the server address
Type the remote MCP server URL.
- 4
Choose how people sign in
If the server needs it, enter OAuth credentials under the authentication settings. The table below explains the options.
- 5
Add it
Click Add, then Connect to sign in.
On a Team or Enterprise plan
An Owner adds the connector for the organization, and then every member connects with their own account.
- 1
Owner: open organization connectors
Go to Organization settings > Connectors.
- 2
Owner: add a custom connector
Select Add, then Custom. If Claude asks for the connector type, choose Web. Enter the server URL, add OAuth credentials if the server needs them, and click Add.
- 3
Members: connect
Go to Customize > Connectors, find the connector with the Custom label, and click Connect to sign in with your own account.
Choose the authentication settings
The layout of the Add custom connector dialog varies by organization. Some show the name, the URL and Advanced settings on one screen. Others use two steps. These are the choices you may meet:
| Setting | Option | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | Sign in now | Each user signs in through the server's login before using the connector |
| Authentication | Sign in when needed | Claude connects without credentials and asks you to sign in when the server requires it |
| Authentication | No sign-in | Anyone with the server address can use it. If the server uses an API key, choose this and add the key under request headers |
| OAuth client | Use Claude's published identity | The recommended option. The server reads Claude's details from a document Anthropic hosts, and you set nothing up |
| OAuth client | Register automatically | Claude registers with the server as users connect. Works with most servers |
| OAuth client | Use your own OAuth client | You enter a client ID you registered with the server |
Change Advanced > Transport only if the server's documentation tells you to. An address ending in /sse selects an older connection method.
Request headers are a beta feature
For servers that use an API key or bearer token, the dialog can offer a
Request headers section. It is in beta and only available to some
organizations. If you do not see it, yours does not have it yet. When you
enter an Authorization header, include the scheme yourself: for a bearer
token, type Bearer followed by the token, with the space.
Use the connector in a conversation
Connecting is not the same as using. You choose, conversation by conversation, whether Claude may use a connector.
- 1
Turn the connector on
In a new or existing chat, click the + button in the message box and select Connectors. Find your connector and make sure its toggle is on.
- 2
Ask for something the service holds
Write a request that needs it.
- 3
Approve the tool call
Claude can ask for your approval before using one of the connector's tools. Choose Allow once to continue, or Always allow to skip the question for that tool from now on.
Look at my calendar for tomorrow afternoon. List what is already booked, then suggest two 45-minute slots for a call that leave at least 15 minutes between meetings.
”A good request names the service's data, the output you want and a constraint. That is the same advice as for any prompt, with one addition: say whether Claude should only read or may also change things.
Inside Claude Tutorial
Asking for read-only first is a habit worth keeping
Starting with a request that only reads, then deciding whether to let Claude change anything, is the careful way to delegate, and the app trains it on many kinds of tasks.
Keep control: permissions and switches
These settings matter more than the connecting itself.
Broadest controlFinest control
- Do not connect itThe safest choice for a service you do not need
- Turn it off per chatUse the Connectors toggles in the + menu so it is available only when you want it
- Needs approvalClaude asks before each use of a tool, and you answer Allow once or Always allow
- BlockedSet a single tool, such as delete, to Blocked on the connector's page
To set tool permissions, go to Customize > Connectors, select the connector under Your connectors, and find Tool permissions. For each group of tools or for a single tool you can choose Always allow, Needs approval or Blocked.
A few rules of thumb:
- Use Always allow only for servers you trust, and mostly for tools that only read.
- Set tools that delete or send things to Needs approval or Blocked.
- Turn connectors off in the + menu when a conversation does not need them. It also keeps Claude focused.
- Watch what Claude does. If it asks to do something unrelated to your request, stop and check, because a service that fetches outside content can carry text meant to trick an AI.
Disconnect, reconnect or remove
Everything about a connector is on its own page under Customize > Connectors.
| You want to | Do this |
|---|---|
| Stop Claude using it in one chat | Turn its toggle off in the + menu |
| Sign Claude out of the service | Select Disconnect. The connector stays in your list and shows Connect |
| Take it off your account | Open the three-dot menu and select Remove |
| Fix a lost connection | Select Reconnect on its row and sign in again |
| Change OAuth settings or headers | Remove the connector and add it again. You cannot change authentication after adding it |
On Team and Enterprise plans, an Owner removes a connector for the whole organization from Organization settings > Connectors, and members then need to reconnect if it is added again.
A local connector: desktop extensions
Some connectors run on your own computer. In the Claude desktop app, a desktop extension is a local MCP server packaged as a single file with the extension .mcpb. It suits local files and tools, sensitive data and offline work. You need to be signed in to claude.ai.
- 1
Open Settings > Extensions
In the Claude desktop app, go to Settings > Extensions.
- 2
Drag in the file
Drop the
.mcpbfile onto the page. Claude opens a preview of the extension. - 3
Install
Select Install and confirm. The extension now appears in the list.
An extension runs with your user permissions, so it can reach only what you can reach, and it sends no data unless it is built to. Your organization can turn extensions off or limit which ones you can install. If Extensions does not appear in settings, that is the reason.
Where connectors work
A connector you add is available across the Claude apps:
| App | What it supports |
|---|---|
| Claude on the web (claude.ai) | Remote connectors |
| Claude desktop app | Remote connectors and local desktop extensions |
| Claude mobile app | Remote connectors |
| Claude Code | The connectors you added in claude.ai, when you sign in with your Claude account |
Frequently asked questions
How do I connect Claude to Google Calendar, Notion or another app?
Go to Customize > Connectors, select Discover, search for the service, select Connect to Claude and sign in. If the service is not in the directory but offers a remote MCP server, add it as a custom connector with its address.
Where is the Connectors page?
At Customize > Connectors, on claude.ai or in the desktop app. Team and Enterprise Owners also manage the organization's connectors at Organization settings > Connectors.
How many connectors can I add on the Free plan?
One custom connector. Directory connectors are separate from that limit, and the service itself may need its own account or plan.
Why can't I add a custom connector?
On Team and Enterprise plans, only an Owner (or, on Enterprise, a member with a custom role that can manage the organization's libraries) can add one. Ask an Owner to add it, and then connect with your own account.
Is it safe to click Always allow?
Only for servers you trust and tools that only read. For anything that deletes, sends or changes data, keep Needs approval or Blocked.
Can I use my connectors in Claude Code?
Yes. Connectors you add in claude.ai are available in Claude Code, in the terminal and in cloud sessions, when you sign in with your Claude account.
How do I remove a connector?
Go to Customize > Connectors, open the connector, use the three-dot menu and choose Remove. To keep it listed but sign Claude out, use Disconnect instead.
Your connector checklist
You checked the directory before adding a custom connector
You read the permissions on the sign-in screen before approving them
Tools that delete or send are set to Needs approval or Blocked
Unused connectors are turned off in the + menu or disconnected
Continue reading
- What Is MCP? The Model Context Protocol Explained Simply for the idea behind connectors.
- How to Add an MCP Server to Claude Code: Commands, Scopes and Fixes if you work in the terminal.
- What's Safe to Share With Claude (and What Isn't) before you connect sensitive systems.
- Claude Projects: Context That Sticks Around for keeping standing context alongside your connectors.