Connectors — connecting your tools to Claude

Connectors turn Claude from an assistant into an informed collaborator by giving it access to the same tools, data, and context that you use in your work. Instead of starting every conversation from scratch, Claude can work directly with your real information. Connectors allow Claude to read information and perform actions on your behalf. Depending on the connector and the permissions granted, Claude can search your files, retrieve documents, analyze data, create new content, update records, and perform tasks in your connected applications — all directly from the conversation. There are two types of connectors. Web connectors link Claude to cloud services: Google Drive, Notion, Slack, Asana, and others. Desktop extensions run locally on your computer through the Claude desktop app, giving Claude access to local files and native applications.

The technical foundation of all connectors is the Model Context Protocol, or MCP. Think of MCP as a USB-C standard for AI — a universal standard that allows Claude to connect to many different applications through a single consistent interface. It is an open standard, which means: developers can create connectors for any tool, and those connectors will work seamlessly with Claude. For you as a user, this means a constantly expanding ecosystem of connections. Today, Gmail, Notion, Slack, Asana, Linear, Stripe, and many other services are supported. Developers continue to build new connectors, following a single standard. Anthropic maintains a catalog of recommended connectors at claude dot ai slash directory. The catalog is organized into two tabs: "Web" for cloud services and "Desktop extensions" for local tools.

You can connect a cloud service to Claude in a few steps. Step one: find the connector. Go to claude dot ai slash directory or click "Search and tools" in the lower left corner of the chat, then select "Add connectors." Step two: click "Connect." Select the desired connector. Step three: authenticate. You will be redirected to the service's sign-in page. Log in with your existing credentials. Step four: grant permissions. Review the specific permissions Claude is requesting, then authorize access. Step five: test the connection. Return to Claude and try a simple request, such as: "Can you access my Google Drive?" Once connected, Claude can search, read, and in some cases perform actions in that service, depending on the permissions granted. Practical examples: for project management — "What are my top priority tasks this week?" For communications — "Find the email where we discussed the vendor contract." For documentation — "What does our style guide say about using abbreviations?"

Desktop extensions require the Claude desktop app, not the web interface. These extensions allow Claude to interact with local applications, the file system, and native features of macOS or Windows. Examples of desktop extensions: local file access for reading and organizing documents directly on your computer, browser control for automating web tasks, native integration with apps, for example with Figma for design tasks. To install a desktop extension: download and install the Claude desktop app, open the app and go to Settings, then the "Extensions" section, review the available extensions and click "Install," follow any additional setup steps specific to the particular extension. The key difference from web connectors: desktop extensions run locally, which means lower latency and the ability to work with files that are not stored in the cloud.

When you connect Claude to external services, you are granting it access to read, and sometimes modify, data in those services. It is important to understand several key aspects of security. First: limited access. Permissions are specific to what the connector needs. You can enable and disable individual permissions in each app's menu. This means that you never grant "access to everything" — only to specific functions. Second: Claude sees what you see. Claude can only access data that you yourself have access to. Connecting a work email doesn't give Claude access to your manager's inbox — only to your own. Third: access can be revoked at any time. You can disconnect a service through Claude's settings or through the third-party service's security settings. This means you always retain full control. Recommendation: start by connecting one or two tools that you use most often, evaluate the benefit, and gradually expand the list of connected services.