# What is an AI connector? > An AI connector links an assistant such as Claude to your Gmail, Google Drive or Calendar so it can look things up. What it can see and how approvals work. Source: https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/ai-connector · Updated 2026-10-14 · Free from Stepthrough (https://learn.ynteractive.com) [AI assistants](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary#topic-ai-assistants) · [AI glossary](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary) Quick answer An AI connector is a permissioned link between an assistant, such as Claude, and an app you use, such as Gmail, Google Drive or Google Calendar. Once connected, the assistant can search and read what your account can open, so you can ask about your own files, email and schedule in plain words. Last updated October 14, 2026 Updated October 14, 2026 · By [Robert Breen](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/about) ## Why it matters for a small business Without a connector, you copy and paste. You open the price sheet, copy the numbers, paste them into the chat and ask your question. With one, you ask where the price sheet is and the assistant goes and looks, then shows which files it used so you can check. The tradeoff is access. A connected assistant can only reach what your account can open, but that may include client email and contracts, so decide which accounts to connect and which chats get the switch. Connectors are often built on the [Model Context Protocol](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/model-context-protocol), and they rely on [OAuth](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/oauth) sign-in so you never hand over your password. ## Permission settings you will see | Setting | What it means | Good for | | --- | --- | --- | | Needs approval | Claude asks before each use of that tool | Anything that sends, shares or changes something | | Always allow | Claude uses the tool without asking | Low-risk reads you use daily, like listing your calendar | | Blocked | Claude cannot use that tool | Anything you never want it to do | These are the settings shown in the lesson. Names and defaults can change, so check your own account. ## In a real lesson: Connect Claude to Google Drive, Gmail and Google Calendar In the [Connect Claude to Google Drive, Gmail and Calendar lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/claude-google-drive-gmail-calendar-connectors), the office manager at Bright Path Landscaping, a made-up company, connects all three from Customize, then Connectors. Claude finds a price sheet in Drive, summarizes a customer's email thread and flags the day on the calendar that looks too full. Above each answer, a short line lists what Claude did. Opening it shows each search and file read, which is the fastest way to check where an answer came from. [Try this lesson free](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/claude-connectors) or [read the step-by-step guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/claude-google-drive-gmail-calendar-connectors). ## Common confusions ### Connector vs integration Integration is the general word for any link between two apps. A connector is the specific link that gives an AI assistant access to one of them. ### Connector vs file upload An upload gives the assistant one file once. A connector lets it search your account, within the limits you set. ## Tips - Connect your work account, not a personal one, and turn the connector off in chats that do not need it. - Keep approvals on for sending, sharing and editing. - Read the sign-in screen to see what the connector is asking for before you click continue. ## Related terms [Model Context Protocol (MCP)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/model-context-protocol) · [OAuth](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/oauth) · [Integration](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/integration) · [Claude](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/claude) · [Tool calling](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/tool-calling) ## More AI assistants terms [AI email assistant](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/ai-email-assistant) · [AI form builder](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/ai-form-builder) · [AI image generation](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/ai-image-generation) · [AI note-taker](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/ai-note-taker) ## Where you use it: free lessons - [Connect Claude to Google Drive, Gmail and Google Calendar](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/claude-google-drive-gmail-calendar-connectors) (Claude, 8 min) - [Pancake: Get Qualified Sales Conversations from Claude Without Hiring a BDR](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/pancake-outbound-sales-from-claude) (Pancake, 16 min) - [Add an AI Chatbot to Your Website with Lovable AI](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/lovable-ai-chatbot-website) (Lovable, 8 min) ## Visual guide AI connector in a few slides, with the same guide written out as text. - [5 Steps to Connect Claude to Drive, Gmail and Calendar](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/visual/5-steps-connect-claude-to-google): A visual guide: connect Google Drive, Gmail and Calendar to Claude, switch them on in a chat and ask about your own files, email and week. [All visual guides](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/visual) ## Frequently asked questions **Can Claude send email once Gmail is connected?** Only if you allow it. In the lesson, actions with consequences, such as sending, sharing or changing events, need your approval by default. **Can a connector see everything in my Google account?** It can reach what your connected account can open, in chats where its switch is on. Review the permissions on the Google sign-in screen and the connector's settings. **Do I need an admin to connect one?** On Team and Enterprise plans an owner adds the connector for the organization first, then each person signs in. Google Workspace admins may also need to allow it. [All AI glossary terms, A to Z](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary) · [Free prompt templates](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts)