ChatGPT & Claude (MCP)
How to Add a Custom Connector to Claude (MCP)
Claude can only work with the apps you connect to it, and the custom connector screen is where most people give up. It asks for a name, a remote MCP server URL and a row of OAuth fields that look like they need a developer. They don't: you name the connector, paste the URL and press Add. MCP stands for Model Context Protocol, the standard that lets an outside service hand its tools to an AI, so Claude can read your mail, check your calendar and pull your files directly instead of you copying between tabs. The same URL works in any client that speaks MCP, including ChatGPT and Cursor. The video connects Carly, which brings email, calendar, CRM, workflows, files and notes into Claude through one connector. Asked which mailboxes are connected, Claude lists all three, two Gmail accounts and an Outlook account.
Step by step
- 01
Open Connectors in Claude
On claude.ai, press the plus button, open Connectors and choose Add custom connector. On some accounts it sits one level down, under Add connector.
- 02
Name the connector
Give it a name you'll recognize, like the app's name. You can leave the OAuth fields empty unless the app tells you otherwise.
- 03
Paste the MCP server URL
Copy the URL the app gives you, usually its address followed by /mcp. For Carly it's https://carlyassistant.com/mcp/. Press Add and sign in when Claude asks.
- 04
Use it in a chat
The connector shows up in your list and Claude can call it from any chat. Try a request that needs it, like "Which mailboxes are connected?"
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