What is a Claude Connector? How to Give Claude Access to Tools

A connector is how you give an agent access to external tools and services. When you add a connector in Claude, ChatGPT, or Grok, the agent can do things it cannot do on its own — like searching the web, generating images, analysing websites, or looking up live data.

Connectors use the same open standard — Model Context Protocol (MCP) — behind the scenes. You do not need to know MCP to use one. Add the connector once and start asking your agent to do things.

How do connectors work?

When you ask something that needs an external tool, the agent finds the right one through the connector, calls it, and brings the result back into your conversation. You stay in the same chat the whole time.

ToolRouter exposes its full catalog at https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp. One connection gives your agent access to hundreds of specialist tools. No account needed — ToolRouter creates one automatically on first use.

How do I add a connector?

Each agent has its own connector UI. The steps are the same idea everywhere: add a custom MCP server with name ToolRouter and URL https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp.

Agent	Where to add it	Full guide
Claude	Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector	Connect to Claude
ChatGPT	Settings → Apps → Create app (Developer mode)	Connect to ChatGPT
Grok	grok.com/connectors → New Connector → Custom (Bring Your Own MCP)	Connect to Grok

Claude

Go to Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector in any Claude app. Enter a name and URL, then click Add. Works on Claude chat (web), the desktop app, and your phone — set up once and it works everywhere.

ChatGPT

Enable Developer mode under Settings → Apps → Advanced settings, then Create app with the ToolRouter URL above. Requires ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Team, or Enterprise.

Grok (grok.com)

Go to grok.com/connectors, click New Connector, choose Custom (Bring Your Own MCP), and enter the ToolRouter name and URL. This is the grok.com Grok connector path — not the same as Grok Bot, which adds ToolRouter as a plugin under Settings → Plugins → Add.

What can agents do with a connector?

Without a connector, agents can think, write, and reason. With a connector like ToolRouter, they can also:

Generate images — product photos, marketing visuals, and art using 50+ AI models
Create videos — UGC-style content, product demos, social media clips
Search the web — find current information, news, research papers
Take screenshots — full-page captures of any website
Analyse websites — SEO audits, competitor analysis, traffic data
Find leads — contact details, company data, email enrichment
Research competitors — see their ads, traffic sources, and strategy
Generate charts — visualise data, create graphs and reports
Look up live data — stock prices, weather, currency rates, flight status
Generate music — create tracks, sound effects, and voice audio

There are hundreds more tools across 12 categories. See the full tool catalog to browse everything available.

You just ask in plain English. The agent picks the right tool and handles the rest.

How do I use a connector in a conversation?

After adding a connector, enable it for the chat you are in:

Claude: click the + button, find Connectors, and toggle ToolRouter on
ChatGPT: click + and select your ToolRouter app
Grok: attach the ToolRouter connector in the conversation

You can also ask the agent to turn it on or ask it to do something that requires a tool — it will prompt you to enable the connector if needed.

Are connectors safe?

Yes. Connectors can only do what you allow. When an agent wants to use a tool through a connector, it tells you what it is about to do and asks for your permission before running anything.

With ToolRouter specifically:

Your data is not stored or logged
API keys you provide are used once and then discarded
You see the cost before any paid tool runs
Nothing is charged without your confirmation

See our security policy for full details.

How many connectors can I add?

Limits depend on the agent and plan. With ToolRouter, one connector is all you need — it gives access to the full tool catalog through a single connection. Instead of adding a separate connector for image generation, another for web search, and another for data lookups, ToolRouter bundles everything into one.

Free Claude accounts support one custom connector. Paid Claude accounts (Pro, Team, Enterprise) can add multiple connectors.

Do connectors cost anything?

Adding a connector is free. ToolRouter has many free tools — web search, weather, currency, charts, and more. Free tools stay free. You only pay when a paid tool works — image generation, video creation, deep research, and similar skills cost a small amount per use. Add credits to your ToolRouter account and only pay for what you use.

Visit pricing for full details.

What is the difference between a connector and built-in features?

Agents have some built-in capabilities like web search and document analysis. Connectors extend them with additional tools that are not built in. For example, an agent cannot generate images, create videos, or analyse a website's SEO on its own — but it can with a connector like ToolRouter.

Built-in features and connectors work together. The agent uses whichever is best for what you are asking.

What about Claude Code and other clients?

Claude Code (the terminal version) does not use the word "connector." Instead, you add tools with a terminal command:

bash

claude mcp add toolrouter -- npx -y toolrouter-mcp

The technology underneath is the same — MCP — but the setup is different. See Connect to Claude Code for that guide.

For Cursor, Windsurf, Copilot, and other editors, see Quickstart and Integration.

Grok Bot is a separate path — a downloadable xAI app that adds ToolRouter as a plugin (Settings → Plugins → Add), not the grok.com connector list and not Cursor.

How do I get started?

Pick your agent and add ToolRouter — it takes about 30 seconds:

Claude: Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector → name ToolRouter, URL https://api.toolrouter.com/mcp
ChatGPT: Settings → Apps → Create app (Developer mode) → same URL
Grok: grok.com/connectors → New Connector → Custom (Bring Your Own MCP) → same URL
Grok Bot: Settings → Plugins → Add → same public HTTPS URL (no local npx)

Start a new conversation, enable the connector, and ask for something — like "generate an image of a sunset over mountains" or "analyse the SEO of my website."