Overview

So far, everything in this course has relied on what you bring into the conversation: uploading files, typing context, building up a knowledge base in a project. Connectors let Claude pull information directly from the tools you already use, and in many cases, take action inside them too.

When you connect something like Google Drive, Gmail, or Slack, Claude can search your files, read your emails, and pull from your documents. Depending on the connector, it can also create tasks, send messages, update records, and more. You ask Claude to do a task, it finds what it needs and takes action, which means you can often complete a whole workflow without leaving Claude.

Setting Up Connectors

Click the plus button in the lower left of your chat, then in Connectors you'll see "Add Connector." This opens the directory of available connectors: Google Drive, Gmail, Slack, Notion, Asana, Figma, Stripe, and plenty more.

On Enterprise plans, you might not be able to see or access certain connectors until your admin has enabled them.

When you click into a connector, you'll see a description of what it can do and a list of the specific tools it gives Claude access to. This is worth reading, because some connectors are read-only (Claude can search and pull information) while others can also write (Claude can create, edit, or send things on your behalf).

Some connectors also have an Interactive badge. With these, instead of Claude describing what it found, it can open a live interface from the app right inside your conversation that you can interact with directly. This is a fairly new feature and the list of apps that support it is growing rapidly.

Using Connectors in Practice

Once connected, you can reference your tools naturally in conversation:

"Find the most recent document in my Google Drive related to our product launch."

Claude searches your Drive and pulls it right in. No downloading, uploading, or copy-pasting.

You can also use multiple connectors in the same chat:

"Check my emails from the last week for anything related to the product launch, then cross-reference that with the product launch doc in my Drive. Summarise what's been decided and flag anything that's still unresolved."

Claude pulls from both Gmail and Google Drive, compares what's been discussed over email with what's in the document, and gives you a single summary with open items flagged.

Connectors with Research Mode

Connectors also work with Research mode. When you run a research task with connectors set up, Claude will ask which connectors to enable for that specific research task before it starts.

This means Claude can pull from your connected tools and search the web at the same time. You can ask something like "summarise what's been discussed internally about the project, then research best practices for similar initiatives" and Claude handles both the internal and external research in one go.

Managing Connectors

On Team and Enterprise plans, your admin controls which connectors are available. Once they've enabled a connector, you still need to authenticate it yourself with your own account.

To manage your connectors, click Customise in the left sidebar, then Connectors. Here you can see which connectors aren't connected yet and sign in to get them working.

You can also see which connectors are currently available by clicking the plus button in the bottom left of your chat and hovering over Connectors. From here, you can toggle them off so Claude won't use them.

A Note on Data Safety

When Claude is pulling from multiple sources, it doesn't always know what's appropriate to share where. If you ask it to draft a client email based on everything it can find, it might pull in internal notes or pricing discussions that weren't meant for that audience. Always review outputs before sending, especially when connectors are involved.

Pause Here

Go connect at least one tool you use daily. Google Drive and Gmail are good starting points if you're not sure. Then try asking Claude something that pulls from your actual data and see how it goes.

The goal is to start doing more of your work end to end inside Claude, rather than switching between apps.

Key Takeaways

• Connectors let Claude pull from your tools and take action inside them. Search files, read emails, create tasks, send messages, all without leaving Claude.

• Read the connector description before setting up. Some are read-only, others can write on your behalf. Know what you're enabling.

• Multiple connectors work together in a single chat. Cross-referencing emails with documents, or combining Slack threads with Drive files, is where connectors become genuinely powerful.

• Connectors combine with Research mode. Claude can search your internal tools and the web simultaneously for comprehensive research.

• Always review outputs when connectors are involved. Claude might pull in internal information that isn't appropriate for every audience.