Plugins and Connectors: Extending Cowork's Reach
In Lesson 27, you explored browser integration for web-based workflows. Now you will connect Cowork to the services where your real data lives — Google Drive, Slack, Jira, and dozens more — through Plugins and Connectors.
You learned about MCP (Model Context Protocol) in Lesson 12 — how developers create servers that expose tools to Claude Code. Plugins and Connectors bring the same capability to Cowork, but without requiring any development work.
What Plugins Are
A Plugin is a workflow package that bundles multiple capabilities into a single, installable unit. Think of it like an app on your phone — one download gives you everything you need.
A Plugin can contain any combination of:
| Component | What It Does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Connectors | Link to external data sources | Google Drive access, Slack messages |
| Skills | Add specific capabilities | Data analysis, report generation |
| Slash commands | Create shortcuts for common tasks | /weekly-report, /standup-summary |
| Sub-agents | Enable autonomous workflows | Research assistant, document reviewer |
You install a Plugin with one click from the Plugin directory, and all its components become available in your Cowork session.
Department-specific Plugin templates provide ready-to-use packages for common roles:
- HR: Employee onboarding checklists, policy lookup, benefits Q&A
- Finance: Expense report analysis, budget tracking, compliance checks
- Legal: Contract review, clause comparison, regulatory lookup
- Design: Asset management, design system reference, feedback collection
- Engineering: Code review summaries, incident response, documentation
- Operations: Process automation, vendor management, reporting
These templates are starting points. You can customize them by adding or removing individual components.
What Connectors Are
Connectors are one component within a Plugin. They are pre-packaged remote MCP servers that link Claude to external data sources.
Here is how the layers relate:
- Protocol layer: MCP (Model Context Protocol) — the open standard
- Integration layer: Connector — a single data source connection built on MCP
- Workflow Package layer: Plugin — bundles Connectors + skills + slash commands + sub-agents
The Anthropic Connectors Directory lists 50+ Connectors across categories:
| Connector | Data Source | What It Provides |
|---|---|---|
| Google Drive | Google Workspace | Read, search, and modify documents |
| Google Calendar | Google Workspace | View and manage calendar events |
| Gmail | Google Workspace | Read and search email |
| Notion | Notion workspace | Access pages, databases, and docs |
| Slack | Slack workspace | Read messages, search conversations |
| GitHub | GitHub repositories | Read code, issues, and discussions |
| Jira | Atlassian Jira | Query tickets, update status |
| Salesforce | CRM data | Access accounts, opportunities, reports |
| DocuSign | Document signing | Manage agreements and signatures |
| Figma | Design files | Access designs, components, and comments |
| Canva | Design platform | Browse and reference design assets |
| WordPress | Content management | Manage posts, pages, and media |
You don't write code. You don't configure servers. You authenticate, grant permissions, and Claude can access the data.
Connectors use remote MCP servers — hosted in the cloud by Anthropic and partners — rather than local servers running on your machine. This means Connectors work across all Claude platforms: web, desktop, mobile apps, and API.
MCP vs. Connectors: What's the Difference?
MCP (Lesson 12) is for developers building custom integrations:
- Requires programming (Python, JavaScript, etc.)
- You design the tools and data structures
- You host and maintain the MCP server
- Full control over the integration
- Best for: proprietary data sources, custom APIs
Connectors are for knowledge workers using common services:
- No programming required
- Pre-defined tools and data structures
- Anthropic and partners handle maintenance via remote MCP servers
- Optimized for popular services
- Best for: widely-used SaaS platforms
The relationship: Connectors are MCP servers. Someone else built them, packaged them, and maintains them. You just use them.
How Connectors Work
When you add a Connector to Cowork:
- Authentication: You sign in to the external service (Google, Notion, etc.)
- Permission Grant: You authorize what Claude can access
- Tool Registration: The Connector exposes its capabilities as tools
- Querying: Claude can now query, read, and sometimes modify data
From that point forward, Claude can reference data from the connected service alongside your local files.
Example: With the Google Drive Connector, you could ask:
"Look at the project planning document in my Google Drive, compare it to the local project files I showed you, and tell me what's missing from the local version."
Claude reads the Google Doc via Connector, reads your local files, and performs the comparison — all without you manually copying anything.
Some Connectors also render interactive apps inline in the chat. For example, a calendar Connector might display an interactive calendar widget where you can select dates directly, rather than typing them out.
Setting Up Connectors
Step 1: Open Connector Settings
In Claude Desktop (Cowork mode):
- Click the settings/gear icon
- Navigate to "Connectors" or "Integrations"
- You'll see available Connectors
Step 2: Add a Connector
- Click "Add" next to the service you want to connect
- A browser window opens for authentication
- Sign in and authorize Claude's access
- Return to Claude Desktop — connection confirmed
Step 3: Configure Permissions
Each Connector has permission scopes:
- Read-only: Claude can view data but not modify
- Read-write: Claude can modify data (use with caution)
- Specific resources: Limit access to specific folders or workspaces
Start with read-only access. Only enable read-write when you trust the workflow and understand what Claude will do.
Access Tiers
Not all plans have the same access:
- Free plan: Browse the Connectors Directory (read-only access to listings)
- Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise: Full Connector installation, custom Connectors via MCP URL, and interactive apps
The Combination Power
Connectors shine when combined with local file operations:
Scenario: You're preparing a quarterly report. The data lives in:
- Google Sheets (sales figures)
- Notion (product updates)
- Slack (customer feedback)
- Local files (previous quarter's report template)
Without Connectors: You download exports from each service, copy-paste into your document, and hope nothing changes.
With Connectors:
"Create a quarterly report using the template in my local files. Pull sales figures from the Q4 Sales Google Sheet, include product updates from the Notion product database, summarize customer feedback from the #customers Slack channel, and compare everything to last quarter's performance."
Claude:
- Reads the local report template
- Queries Google Sheets for current sales data
- Fetches Notion pages for product updates
- Searches Slack for customer feedback
- Analyzes everything and generates the report
The advantage: Live data, no manual export/import, and one request does the work of accessing four different systems.
Available Connectors
Document and Knowledge:
- Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
- Notion
- Confluence
- SharePoint
Communication:
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
- Gmail
- Google Calendar
Development:
- GitHub
- GitLab
- Linear
Business Data:
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Jira
- Airtable
- DocuSign
Design:
- Figma
- Canva
Content:
- WordPress
New Connectors are added regularly. The Connectors Directory at claude.com/connectors shows all available integrations, with 50+ and growing.
Current Limitations
Plugins and Connectors are powerful but have constraints:
Rate Limits: External APIs have usage limits. Claude queries efficiently, but massive data pulls may hit limits.
Authentication: Some services require re-authentication periodically. You'll be prompted when this happens.
Read-only vs. Read-write: Not all Connectors support modification. Check capabilities before planning write workflows.
Service availability: If the external service is down, the Connector won't work.
Data freshness: Connectors fetch current data, not real-time streams. Changes after Claude queries won't be reflected.
When to Use Plugins and Connectors
Ideal for:
- Reports combining data from multiple sources
- Research that spans across platforms
- Cross-reference analysis (e.g., GitHub issues vs. Jira tickets)
- Automated reporting from SaaS platforms
- Department-specific workflows using Plugin templates
Less ideal for:
- Real-time monitoring (use dedicated dashboards)
- Massive data exports (use native export features)
- Complex data transformations (export, process locally)
Privacy and Security
Plugins and Connectors require granting Claude access to your external accounts. Consider:
Principle of Least Privilege: Grant only the access needed. Read-only for reporting, specific folders rather than entire workspaces.
Regular Audits: Periodically review which Connectors are active and revoke access you no longer need.
Sensitive Data: Be cautious connecting accounts with highly sensitive information (HR data, financial systems).
Service Terms: Ensure using Plugins and Connectors complies with your organization's policies on external tool access.
Try With AI
Audit Your Data Sources:
"What services do I use regularly that contain data I reference in my work? Google Drive, Notion, Slack, GitHub, Jira? Which 3 services would be most valuable to connect to Claude Cowork, and would any existing Plugin templates (HR, Finance, Legal, Design, Engineering, Operations) match my role?"
What you're learning: Data source inventory — understanding where your information lives and what Plugins or Connectors would be most valuable to integrate. This assessment guides which packages to prioritize.
Design a Combined Workflow:
"Pick a task I do that involves data from multiple sources. Design a workflow that uses Plugins and Connectors: What local files are involved? What external services? What skills or slash commands would help? Write the complete prompt."
What you're learning: Multi-source workflow design — thinking through how to combine local files with external data through Plugins. This is where bundled capabilities provide the most value.
What's Next
Plugins and Connectors extend Cowork's reach to external data sources and bundled capabilities. But Cowork is still evolving. The next lesson covers current limitations, safety considerations, and what's coming in future updates — including Knowledge Bases that will give Claude persistent memory across sessions.