Claude Connectors: Add an MCP Server in 2 Minutes

Claude connectors let Claude use outside tools: read from an app, write to it, or create files with it, right inside the chat. Under the hood each connector is an MCP server (Model Context Protocol, the open standard Claude uses to talk to tools). Some are ready-made in Claude’s directory; any other remote MCP server can be added as a custom connector by pasting its URL. Anthropic’s help center says custom connectors work on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise, with Free limited to one. Adding one takes about two minutes. Below is how, with a carousel renderer as the worked example.

What is a Claude connector?

A connector is a tool Claude can call during a conversation. When you ask for something the tool does, Claude decides to call it, sends it the inputs, and shows you what comes back. The tool does the work; Claude writes the request and explains the result.

Term	What it means
MCP	Model Context Protocol, the standard that connects AI apps to tools
MCP server	The service on the other end, which offers one or more tools
Connector	Claude’s name for an MCP server you have added
Custom connector	A connector you add by URL, not from the directory

Claude Code and editors like Cursor use the same MCP servers, added by a command or a config file instead of the settings screen.

Which Claude plans have connectors?

According to Anthropic’s help article on custom connectors (checked October 2026), custom connectors using remote MCP are available on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans. Free accounts can add one custom connector. On Team and Enterprise, an owner adds the connector for the organization, and each member then connects their own account. The feature is marked beta, so the details move; check the help center if your screen looks different.

How do you add a custom connector to Claude?

1. Get the server’s MCP URL from the tool’s own setup page.
2. In Claude, open Customize > Connectors (older versions call it Settings > Connectors).
3. Click Add, then Add custom connector.
4. Name it and paste the URL.
5. Finish the sign-in. Most servers use OAuth: a window opens, you log in to the tool and choose Allow. Some ask for an API key instead.
6. In a chat, make sure the connector is switched on in the tools menu, then ask for what it does.

The connector follows your account, so once it works on the web it also works in the desktop and phone apps.

What is a good first connector to try?

One that gives you something you can see. A carousel post renderer is a good test: you ask in plain words, and finished images come back in the chat.

Karou is a connector for Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok carousels. Your Claude writes the slides; Karou lays them out on a template and renders them, then returns the thumbnails in the chat with a PNG per slide, a ZIP and a PDF. You skip pasting slides into an editor, which is where a carousel’s time usually goes, and you can tell at a glance whether the connector works.

1. Create a free Karou account.
2. Add a custom connector named Karou with the URL https://karou.si/mcp.
3. Sign in to Karou and choose Allow.
4. Ask: “Make a carousel with Karou: 6 slides on the three pricing mistakes I made, bold template.”

Karou has four tools: create makes a carousel, edit changes one, templates lists or makes templates, account shows your plan and usage. Edits keep the same carousel and links, and do not count against the daily limit. Full setup for every app, including Claude Code, is in connect Karou to Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor, and a full run in how to make a carousel with Claude.

Is it safe to add a custom connector?

It is as safe as the service you connect. Anthropic notes that it does not verify custom connectors, and Claude can act in the connected service once you allow it. So before you add one:

• Know who runs it. Add servers from tools you would also sign up for directly.
• Check what it can do. Read the tool list. A renderer that creates images is a different risk from a tool that can send email in your name.
• Use its sign-in. OAuth means you never paste your password into Claude, and you can revoke access from the tool’s side.

Karou, for example, renders carousels from the text Claude sends and stores the files under unguessable links. It never sends your text to a model, and it does not post anything anywhere.

What can you do with connectors for social media?

Claude writes well; connectors let it hand off the parts that are not writing. For social media that usually means turning text into images, keeping notes, or scheduling posts. For carousels, the hand-off is the step that used to take an editor and an hour; carousel maker compares the editor route with the connector route. More on that in AI carousel generator and ChatGPT carousel prompt.

FAQ

Are Claude connectors free?

Adding a custom connector is part of every Claude plan, with one custom connector on Free. The tool on the other end has its own pricing. Karou’s free plan renders 3 carousels a day with a small watermark (plans).

What is the difference between Claude MCP and a connector?

MCP is the standard. A connector is an MCP server added to your Claude account.

Do connectors work in the Claude phone app?

Yes. A connector added on the web follows your account into the desktop and phone apps.

Can I use the same MCP server in ChatGPT?

Many servers work in both. Karou does: see ChatGPT MCP for the ChatGPT steps.

Start free and add Karou as your first Claude connector.