MCP Connectors Setup Guide

Quick reference for connecting Claude to external applications and MCP servers.

Overview

Claude can connect to external tools and data sources through:

Integrations — Built-in connections to cloud services (Google Drive, Gmail, GitHub)
Custom Connectors — Remote MCP servers you configure
Desktop Extensions — Local MCP servers on your machine (Desktop only)

Part 1: Built-in Integrations

Claude offers built-in integrations with popular services.

Available Integrations

Integration	Free	Pro	Max	Team	Enterprise
GitHub	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Google Drive	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Gmail	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Google Calendar	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓

Enable an Integration

From the chat interface:

Click the + button in the lower left of the chat window
Select the integration you want to connect
Complete the authentication flow

From settings:

Go to Settings → Connectors
Find the integration and click Connect
Complete the authentication flow

For Team/Enterprise Plans

Organization Owners must first enable integrations:

Go to Admin settings → Connectors
Click Enable next to the integration
Team members can then connect individually through their settings

Part 2: Custom Connectors (Remote MCP Servers)

Custom connectors let you connect Claude to remote MCP servers.

Available on: Claude web and Desktop (Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise)

Add a Custom Connector

Go to Settings → Connectors
Click Add custom connector
Enter the remote MCP server URL
(Optional) Configure OAuth credentials in Advanced settings
Complete setup

Enable Connectors in a Conversation

Click the + button in the chat interface
Select Connectors
Toggle on the connectors you want to use

Part 3: Desktop Extensions (Local MCP Servers)

Desktop Extensions connect Claude to MCP servers running on your local machine.

Available on: Claude Desktop only (not web)

Browse and Install Extensions

Open Claude Desktop
Go to Settings → Extensions
Browse available extensions
Click to install

Manual Configuration

For custom MCP servers, edit the configuration file directly.

Configuration file location:

Platform	Path
macOS	`~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
Windows	`%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`

Example configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "my-server": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/your/server.js"]
    }
  }
}

After editing, restart Claude Desktop for changes to take effect.

Configure Tool Permissions

Each connector has individual tool permissions that control when Claude can use specific capabilities.

Access Tool Permissions

Go to Settings → Connectors
Click on a connected integration (e.g., Notion)
View the Tool permissions section

Permission Levels

Each tool can be set to one of three permission levels:

Icon	Level	Behavior
✓	Always allow	Claude can use without asking
✋	Ask each time	Claude requests permission before using
⊘	Never	Claude cannot use this tool

Tool Categories

Tools are grouped by their capabilities:

Read-only tools — Fetch and search data (lower risk)

Example: notion-fetch, notion-search, notion-get-users
Default: Often set to “Always allow”

Write/delete tools — Create, modify, or delete data (higher risk)

Example: notion-create-pages, notion-update-database, notion-move-pages
Default: Often set to “Ask each time” or custom per-tool

Recommended Approach

Read-only tools: “Always allow” for smoother workflows
Write/delete tools: “Ask each time” until you’re comfortable with how Claude uses them
Review permissions when first connecting a new integration

Verify Connectors Are Working

Start a new conversation
Click the + button
Hover over Connectors to see available servers
Your configured connectors should appear in the list

Security Considerations

Only connect to servers from organizations you trust
Review permission requests during OAuth authentication
All data transfers use encryption
Integrations work only in private projects
Chats with synced content cannot be shared

Troubleshooting

Integration not appearing?

Check you have the required plan
For Team/Enterprise, verify the Owner has enabled it
Try disconnecting and reconnecting

Custom connector not connecting?

Verify the MCP server URL is correct
Check the server is running and accessible
Review OAuth credentials if required

Desktop extension not loading?

Check the configuration file syntax (valid JSON)
Verify the path to your server is absolute
Restart Claude Desktop completely (quit, not just close window)
Check logs at ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp.log (macOS)

Next Steps

Review the course slide deck for detailed walkthrough
Explore the MCP server directory for available integrations
Post in Slack if you encounter issues