Claude custom connectors: add one in minutes, or build your own
A custom connector links Claude to a remote MCP server by its URL. In Claude, open Customize → Connectors, click “+”, choose “Add custom connector”, paste the URL and click “Add”. It works on every plan, the Free plan allows one custom connector. No URL for the tool you need? AnythingMCP turns any API or database into one, without code.
AnythingMCP is listed in Claude's connector directory: click “Connect” there and sign in, no URL to paste. For any other MCP server, or a self-hosted AnythingMCP, follow the custom connector steps.
Open source (AGPL-3.0) · self-hostable · credentials stay on your infrastructure
How to add a custom connector in Claude
A custom connector belongs to your Claude account, not to one device: add it once and it is there on the web, in Claude Desktop and in the mobile apps. Claude Code can use the same connectors or add servers from the terminal.
Claude.ai on the web: Pro and Max
- Open Customize → Connectors.
- Click “+”, then “Add custom connector”.
- Enter a name and the connector's remote MCP server URL.
- Optional: under “Advanced settings”, enter an OAuth Client ID and Client Secret if your server asks for them.
- Click “Add”, then “Connect” and sign in to the service to give Claude access.
To use it in a chat, click “+” in the lower left of the chat box (or type “/”), hover over “Connectors” and switch the connector on for that conversation.
Claude.ai on the web: Team and Enterprise
Only an Owner or Primary Owner can add a custom connector to the organization. Everyone else then connects to it with their own account, so Claude only reaches what that person can reach.
Owner or Primary Owner
- Open Organization settings → Connectors.
- Click “Add”, hover over “Custom”, then select “Web”.
- Enter the remote MCP server URL. Optional: OAuth Client ID and Secret under “Advanced settings”.
- Click “Add”.
Members
- Open Customize → Connectors.
- Find the connector (it usually has a “Custom” label) and click “Connect” to sign in.
Claude Desktop and mobile
Claude Desktop uses the same steps under Customize → Connectors. A connector added on the web shows up in Desktop too, and in the Claude apps for iOS and Android the next time you sign in. Adding connectors on mobile is in beta, so the web or Desktop is the easier place to set one up.
Local MCP servers configured in claude_desktop_config.json are a separate mechanism that only works in Claude Desktop. For a connector you want everywhere, use a remote URL.
Claude Code
Add a remote MCP server from your terminal:
claude mcp add --transport http <name> <url>For example, with AnythingMCP Cloud:
claude mcp add --transport http anythingmcp https://cloud.anythingmcp.com/mcpThen run /mcp inside Claude Code, or claude mcp login anythingmcp in your shell, to finish the OAuth sign-in. Add --scope user to make the server available in all your projects. If you log in to Claude Code with your Claude.ai account, the connectors you added on Claude.ai appear in /mcp automatically.
Which Claude plans can add custom connectors?
- Free
- One custom connector.
- Pro and Max
- You add custom connectors yourself under Customize → Connectors.
- Team and Enterprise
- Owners and Primary Owners add them for the organization; members connect with their own account.
Steps as described in Anthropic's Help Center and the Claude Code documentation, checked September 2026. AnythingMCP's own listing: AnythingMCP in the Claude Directory.
Custom connector not working? Common fixes
“Add custom connector” is missing
On Team and Enterprise, only Owners and Primary Owners can add custom connectors, under Organization settings → Connectors. Members only see connectors that were already added, with a “Connect” button, so ask an Owner. On the Free plan you can have one custom connector: remove the one you have, or upgrade.
It won't connect or times out
Claude reaches the MCP server from Anthropic's cloud, not from your computer, even in Claude Desktop. A server on a private network, behind a VPN or a firewall can't be reached. Give it a public HTTPS address or allowlist Anthropic's IP ranges. AnythingMCP Cloud is reachable out of the box; a self-hosted install needs a public URL.
Sign-in fails or keeps looping
Disconnect the connector under Customize → Connectors and connect again, and sign in with the account that has access to the server. If the server doesn't support automatic client registration, enter its OAuth Client ID and Secret under “Advanced settings”. Custom connectors can't be edited: to change the URL or the OAuth details, remove the connector and add it again.
Connected, but the tools don't show up
Connectors are switched on per conversation: click “+” (or type “/”), hover over “Connectors” and turn yours on. If you changed the tools on the server, start a new chat or disconnect and reconnect so Claude fetches the current list. With many connectors, check “Tool access” in the same menu: in “On demand” mode Claude loads tools only when it needs them.
What you need: a remote MCP server URL
Every custom connector is a URL of a remote MCP server. Many SaaS vendors publish one. For the systems your business actually runs, an ERP, an internal API, a SQL database, there usually isn't one. AnythingMCP gives you that URL for any API, in three steps, without writing an MCP server.
Import your API
Upload an OpenAPI/Swagger spec, a Postman collection, a WSDL file or a cURL command, or point AnythingMCP at a database. Every endpoint becomes a draft tool. Ready-made connectors skip this step entirely.
Shape what Claude sees
Rename tools, rewrite descriptions, hide parameters and set defaults in the visual editor. Good tool descriptions are the difference between an AI that guesses and one that works.
Add the URL to Claude
Copy the MCP URL AnythingMCP shows you and add it in Claude as described above. Sign-in runs over OAuth 2.0. The same URL works in Claude.ai, Claude Desktop and Claude Code, and in ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and Cursor too.
A connector your security team can approve
Credentials stay encrypted
API keys and OAuth tokens are stored AES-256-GCM encrypted in the AnythingMCP database, on your own server if you self-host. Claude sees the tools, never the credentials behind them.
Every call is audited
Input, output, duration and status of every tool call land in the audit log.
Role-based access
Whitelist tools per role and issue per-user MCP API keys, so each person's Claude only sees what it should.
Or start from a ready-made connector
DATEV, DHL, Personio, weclapp, Shopware, WooCommerce, Handelsregister, Sorare and many more: add your credentials and the tools are live in Claude minutes later.
Browse the marketplaceStep-by-step guides
Frequently asked questions
What are Claude connectors?
Connectors let Claude read data from your apps and take actions in them, for example searching files, creating issues or looking up orders. They work in Claude on the web, Claude Desktop, the mobile apps and Claude Code, and Claude only reaches what your own account in that service can reach.
What is the difference between directory connectors and custom connectors?
Directory connectors are pre-built and reviewed by Anthropic: you find them in the Connectors Directory and click “Connect”. AnythingMCP is one of them: open it in the directory, click “Connect” and sign in to AnythingMCP Cloud. Custom connectors link Claude to any remote MCP server by URL, including one you run yourself. Anthropic has not verified those, so only add servers from organizations you trust.
How do I add a custom connector to Claude?
Open Customize → Connectors, click “+”, choose “Add custom connector”, enter a name and the remote MCP server URL and click “Add”. On Team and Enterprise an Owner adds it under Organization settings → Connectors and members click “Connect”. In Claude Code, run claude mcp add --transport http followed by a name and the URL.
Are Claude connectors free?
Connectors are included in every Claude plan: Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. The Free plan is limited to one custom connector. The service behind a connector can have its own price: AnythingMCP is free to self-host, and AnythingMCP Cloud starts with a 7-day free trial.
Are Claude connectors the same as MCP?
Close. MCP (Model Context Protocol) is the open standard Anthropic created to connect AI apps to tools and data. A connector is how Claude uses an MCP server: a custom connector is simply a remote MCP server you add by URL. Local MCP servers configured in Claude Desktop or Claude Code are the other way to use MCP.
Who can add custom connectors on Team and Enterprise plans?
Only Owners and Primary Owners. They add the connector once for the organization under Organization settings → Connectors. Each member then connects with their own account, so Claude only sees what that person is allowed to see.
Do custom connectors work in Claude Code, Claude Desktop and on mobile?
Yes. A connector added to your Claude account is available on the web, in Claude Desktop and in the iOS and Android apps. Claude Code shows your Claude.ai connectors when you log in with your Claude.ai account, or you add the server with claude mcp add. Adding connectors on mobile is in beta, so set them up on the web or in Desktop.
Can I build my own Claude connector without code?
Yes. With AnythingMCP you import an OpenAPI spec, a Postman collection, a WSDL file or a cURL command, or connect a database, adjust the tools in a visual editor and get an MCP URL to add in Claude. Code only comes in if you want to contribute a new adapter or customize a self-hosted setup.
Is my data safe with a custom connector?
That depends on who runs the server, which is why Anthropic advises connecting only servers you trust. With AnythingMCP you run the server yourself (open source, Docker) or use AnythingMCP Cloud, hosted in the EU (Frankfurt). Credentials are stored AES-256-GCM encrypted, every tool call is written to an audit log, and roles decide which tools each person's Claude can use.
What kinds of APIs can I turn into a Claude connector?
REST (OpenAPI/Swagger, Postman, cURL), SOAP/WSDL, GraphQL, databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MSSQL, Oracle, MongoDB, SQLite) and other MCP servers via the MCP bridge.
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