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Claude connectors and plugins for business: what they are and which to install
Claude connectors and plugins let Claude work with the tools your business already uses. A connector links Claude to one app, like Gmail, Microsoft 365, Slack or QuickBooks; a plugin bundles skills, connectors and helpers into one install. Connectors work on every plan; plugins need a paid plan. Start with one or two you use every day, and only from providers you trust. To build systems around your own files instead, see our Claude Code course for business owners.
Last checked on October 18, 2026 on Anthropic's help center and directoriesIndependent: we are not affiliated with Anthropic or any app named here
What changed in this guide
- : Narrowed the training note to Gmail, Drive and Calendar connector data, and updated what the QuickBooks connector can do. Steps now describe the menus in general terms.
- : First version. Facts and quotes checked twice on Anthropic's help center, its directories and the official MCP site.
Found a mistake? Report a mistake and we'll fix it.
In short
- Connector = Claude can read and act in one app. Plugin = a ready-made bundle for a job or role.
- Connectors: every plan. Plugins: paid plans only.
- Add connectors under Customize, Connectors; plugins under Customize, Plugins.
- Most actions that send or change something ask for your approval by default.
- Only connect apps you trust and need; each one gives Claude new access.
What is the difference between Claude connectors and plugins?
A connector is one link to one app. Anthropic: “Connectors let Claude access your apps and services, retrieve your data, and take actions within connected services.” (help center). A plugin is a package: “Each plugin bundles skills, connectors, and sub-agents into a single package” (plugins). What a skill is and how to make your own: our guide to Claude skills.
| Compare | Connector | Plugin |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Access to one app: read data, take actions | A bundle of skills, connectors and helpers for a job |
| Example | Gmail, Microsoft 365, Slack, QuickBooks | Claude for Small Business (finance, sales and admin workflows) |
| Plans | All plans, including Free | Paid plans: Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise |
| Where | Claude app, desktop, mobile, Claude Code | Chat (skills and commands), Cowork and Claude Code (everything) |
On October 18, 2026, Anthropic's directories listed 973 connectors and 341 plugins. The best-known plugin for owners is Claude for Small Business.
What is Claude MCP, in plain English?
MCP, the Model Context Protocol, is the common plug that connectors use. The official site calls it “an open-source standard for connecting AI applications to external systems” and adds: “Think of MCP like a USB-C port for AI applications.” (modelcontextprotocol.io). Anthropic introduced it on November 25, 2024 (announcement).
You don't need to understand MCP to use connectors: picking one from the directory is enough. It matters only if someone offers you a custom connector, which is an MCP server Anthropic hasn't checked. More AI terms in plain English in our AI glossary.
How do you add a Claude connector?
Based on Anthropic's connectors guide:
Step 1: Open Customize, then Connectors
In the Claude app, open Customize and go to Connectors, then add a new connector (you can also do this from the + menu in a chat).
Step 2: Pick the app and connect it
Choose the app and click Connect, then sign in to that app and allow access. Each person signs in on their own.
Step 3: Use it in a chat
In a conversation, click + (or type /), then Connectors, to see or manage what Claude can use there. Try a read-only question first, such as “What's on my calendar this week?”
On Team plans, only owners can add connectors for the organization. Free users can add one custom connector.
How do you install Claude plugins?
From Anthropic's plugins guide:
Step 1: Open Customize, then Plugins
Open Customize in the left sidebar and go to Plugins.
Step 2: Browse the plugins and add one
Browse the available plugins and add the one you want. Prefer plugins with the Anthropic verified badge.
Skills and commands from a plugin work in chat; hooks and sub-agents run only in Cowork and Claude Code. In Claude Code, the /plugin command opens the plugin marketplaces.
Which Claude connectors and plugins are most useful for a small business?
Start with the apps your business runs on. What Anthropic's pages say about the common ones:
| App | What Claude can do | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive | Search and read; Gmail can send, reply and forward | All users; Claude asks before each email action by default; Drive reads text, not images |
| Microsoft 365 (Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams) | Read by default; send email and manage files if write tools are on | All plans, but needs a Microsoft business account; an admin turns on write tools |
| Excel | Reads and edits workbooks through the Claude for Excel add-in | An add-in, not a connector; Pro and up; no macros, VBA or data tables |
| QuickBooks | Creates and sends invoices, estimates and payment reminders; looks up payroll details | Anthropic verified; asks for your confirmation before anything is sent; check availability in your country |
| Slack, Notion, HubSpot, Canva | Messages, pages, CRM data and designs, per their directory listings | Check each listing for what it can change |
Sources: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Claude for Excel, QuickBooks and the connectors directory. For working on websites in your own browser, there is a separate tool: the Claude Chrome extension.
Are Claude connectors and plugins safe?
They are as safe as the access you give them. Anthropic's own advice:
- “Only connect services you trust and need for your workflows.” and “Only install plugins from sources you trust.”
- Custom connectors connect to services “that haven't been verified by Anthropic”, and “Malicious MCP servers may include hidden instructions that try to make Claude perform unintended actions.” (custom connectors).
- Only let a tool run without asking if you would let it run unsupervised. For anything that sends, pays or deletes, keep approvals on.
- On Team and Enterprise, admins can set each tool to always allow, needs approval or blocked for everyone.
What are the limits of Claude connectors?
- Each person connects and signs in on their own account.
- Microsoft 365 doesn't work with personal Microsoft accounts.
- Custom connectors must be reachable from the internet; to change one, you remove it and add it again.
- Installing connectors on mobile is still in beta.
- Connectors added on claude.ai reach Claude Code only when you sign in there with the same account (Claude Code docs).
Which plan you need overall: see Claude plans compared.
What should you set up after your first Claude plugin or connector?
Give your first connector a week of real work before you add the next one: each one gives Claude new access. Then:
- Pick where the work happens. Office tasks across your apps suit Cowork (what Claude Cowork is). Websites and tools you keep improving suit Claude Code (how to use Claude Code if you don't code).
- One connector per real task. Remove the ones you stopped using.
- One working system for your business, built step by step in the free course below.
Frequently asked questions about Claude plugins and connectors
Are Claude connectors free?
Connectors to web apps are available to all users, including the Free plan, and Free users can add one custom connector. Plugins need a paid plan (Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise), and so does the Claude for Excel add-in. Some connected apps need their own paid plan.
Do Claude connectors work in Claude Code?
Yes. If you sign in to Claude Code with your claude.ai account, the connectors you added on claude.ai are available there automatically. They are not loaded if you use Claude Code with an API key.
Can Claude send emails from my Gmail on its own?
Not by default. The Gmail connector can send, reply to and forward emails, but Anthropic says Claude asks for your approval before each of these actions.
Is there a Claude plugin marketplace?
Yes. Anthropic's plugin directory lists the plugins you can add from the Plugins tab, some with an Anthropic verified badge. In Claude Code, the /plugin command opens marketplaces, including Anthropic's official one.
Does Claude work with Excel?
Yes, through Claude for Excel, an add-in rather than a connector. It is available on Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans, installs from Microsoft AppSource, and doesn't support macros, VBA or data tables.
Connect less, build more
The No-Code Claude Course is our step-by-step course for business owners who don't code. You build real things for your business with Claude, from your own files. The first module is free.
Sources and how we checked
Facts come from Anthropic's help center, its connector and plugin directories and the official MCP site, checked twice on October 18, 2026, with quotes word for word. Directory counts change every week.
- Use connectors, custom connectors and use plugins (Claude help center)
- Connectors directory and plugins directory
- Microsoft 365 connector, Google Workspace connectors, Claude for Excel and QuickBooks
- Model Context Protocol, Anthropic's MCP announcement (November 25, 2024) and MCP in Claude Code
Workfile is an independent publisher, not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic or the companies named here. Claude is a trademark of Anthropic; other names are trademarks of their owners.