How to Connect & Use MCP with Claude: 4 Ways to Add Connectors

Once you know what MCP (Model Context Protocol) is, the next question is how to actually connect it. There are four main ways to connect MCP to Claude, from the easy Directory connectors to Claude Code for developers. (New to the concept? Start with What is MCP?)

1. Directory connectors (easiest)

Popular, ready-made connectors like Google Drive, Slack, and GitHub take just a few clicks.

1. Click the "+" button at the lower-left of the chat box, or type "/" to open the menu.
2. Choose Connectors to open the directory. Browse by category or scroll the full list.
3. Pick an app and complete the OAuth sign-in. Review the access it requests during connection.

After connecting, you don't have to name the app every time — Claude brings the tool into the conversation on its own when it fits your request. The directory is available on claude.ai, Claude Desktop, and the iOS/Android apps.

2. Custom connectors — remote MCP servers

To connect your own server or an internal service, use a custom connector.

1. Go to Settings > Connectors.
2. Choose "Add custom connector."
3. Enter the server URL (e.g. https://your-server.example.com/mcp) and any required auth.

⚠️ Important: Custom connectors connect from Anthropic's cloud to your server (not from your PC). So the server must be reachable over the public internet — servers behind a firewall, VPN, or private network won't connect. Use Streamable HTTP (SSE may be deprecated). Custom connectors link to services not verified by Anthropic, so only connect servers from trusted organizations and review permissions carefully.

3. Local MCP servers — Claude Desktop

To reach local tools and files on your own computer, use Claude Desktop's config file (a separate mechanism from remote connectors; runs locally over stdio).

Config file location:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Example (filesystem server):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/dir"]
    }
  }
}

Save and restart Claude Desktop. Use "+" > Connectors to see connected MCP servers and their tools; you can also install .mcpb desktop extensions. Note: local MCP isn't available on claude.ai web or Cowork.

4. Claude Code (developers / terminal)

From the terminal, add an MCP server in one line.

# Basic syntax
claude mcp add --transport http <name> <url>

# Example: connect Notion
claude mcp add --transport http notion https://mcp.notion.com/mcp

Servers that need auth support OAuth 2.0; if the server returns 401/403, complete the flow from /mcp. HTTP transport is the most widely supported for remote connections.

You can also use the MCP connector in the Claude API to connect public HTTP MCP servers directly from the Messages API (for developers — see the platform.claude.com docs).

Popular connectors

Commonly used directory connectors include Google Drive, Slack, GitHub, and Notion. Each connector page shows its read/write capabilities and availability. (These are representative examples, not a ranking.)

Security check

• Connect only trusted servers. A custom/unverified server lets Claude read data and take actions in that service.
• Review the access requested at connection time. Only data you can already view in the source is synced.
• All data transfers are encrypted.

Disclaimer: Menus, paths, and transports vary by client version and plan and may change. This guide reflects Anthropic's official documentation at the time of writing (support.claude.com, code.claude.com, platform.claude.com). Check the official docs for the latest. This site is not affiliated with Anthropic.