How to Add Connectors in Claude

Where do you find Connectors in Claude?

Open Customize > Connectors and use the + control to browse. From a chat, you can also open + > Connectors > Manage connectors. Choose a service, inspect its capabilities and follow its Connect or Install flow. Claude’s Connector guide covers the current navigation.

These are web Connector steps. Desktop extensions and custom remote servers have their own setup requirements. If you are adding a provider URL rather than choosing a listed app, read the MCP guide in this series.

Customize > Connectors > + → Choose service > Connect → Authenticate the correct account → Chat: + > Connectors > enable

Choose the right account before you authenticate

Decide whether this is personal learning or business work. Use the approved Claude account and the intended service workspace. Check the email address shown during authentication rather than clicking through on muscle memory.

Read the requested permissions. If the task only needs a known document, ask why the connection wants broader actions and whether the available controls can narrow them. Get the relevant administrator involved when organisation approval is required.

Record a simple note: service, account, intended job and who owns the connection. “I think somebody connected it last month” is an unhelpful maintenance policy.

Enable the connected service for your conversation

After setup, open the chat’s + menu, then Connectors, and enable the relevant service. A connected account and the right source in the current conversation are separate things to check.

Make the first request explicit: name the service, the item and the output. “Find our policy” leaves several questions open. “Find the approved travel policy in [workspace], identify its revision date and link to the source” gives you something to verify.

Check the original item even when Claude provides a confident summary. A reference is an invitation to inspect evidence, rather than a decorative footnote.

Your first Connector exercise: find one known document

Choose a harmless practice document in the connected service. Give it a distinctive title and one recognisable sentence. Ask Claude to retrieve it and provide the title, source link and excerpt. Then open the original.

For the next step, ask one factual question whose answer is in that document. Finally, ask a question it cannot answer from the source. A useful result should identify the missing information rather than manufacture an answer.

Use [the enabled service] to find “[exact practice document title]” in [workspace or folder].
Return its title, source link and the short passage about [known topic].
Answer this question using only that document: [question].
List anything the document does not establish. Do not edit, publish or send anything.

Three useful jobs after the connection works

Prepare for a meeting

Retrieve a named brief and produce five questions. Keep source facts separate from your suggested questions. Check that the brief is the current version before taking it into the room.

Compare updates

Ask for changes between two named documents or task snapshots. Specify the period and scope. A comparison should state what it compared; “everything has improved” is not a change log.

Draft the next action

Use an approved source to draft a task or message in chat. Review names, dates, recipients and commitments before asking for an external action. Keep the first trial small enough to inspect completely.

Using [named connected source], prepare a meeting brief for [audience].
Include: confirmed facts with source references; unresolved questions; and five suggested discussion questions.
Keep recommendations separate from source facts.
If the requested source or period is inaccessible, state the limitation before producing conclusions.

Fix common Connector problems without guessing

Wrong workspace: inspect the authenticated account and source service. Missing item: try an exact title or link and confirm access in the original app. Missing Connector: check directory availability and workspace policy. Expired authentication: review the connection settings and reconnect when appropriate.

If the connection works but the answer is weak, narrow the question and name the intended source. Do not change five settings at once. You will have made progress harder to explain to yourself.

Disconnect unused services and review access when roles change. Keep the connections that help complete useful work, with checking included. The settings page is not a loyalty-card collection.

How To Use Claude Like A Pro: the six-part series

1. Part 1: How to Use Claude Projects Effectively
2. Part 2: How to Write the Best Claude Prompt
3. Part 3: How to Add Context to Claude
4. Part 4: How to Add and Use Skills in Claude
5. Part 5: How to Add the Best MCPs in Claude
6. Part 6: How to Add Connectors in Claude (you are here)

Start with our guide to using Claude effectively · See the full How To Use Claude Like A Pro series