Third-party MCP apps (consumer partners)

Third-party MCP apps are integrations built by external developers using the open Model Context Protocol (MCP) standard. They allow Claude to connect directly to outside services—such as project management tools, databases, search engines, and business platforms—so it can read data, take actions, and work across your software stack without you manually copying and pasting information. On claude.ai, these integrations appear in two forms: directory connectors (pre-vetted partner apps listed in the Connectors directory, connected via OAuth) and custom connectors (self-hosted or third-party remote MCP servers you add yourself by entering a URL). Directory connectors are reviewed by Anthropic before listing; custom connectors give you flexibility but require you to trust the server you're connecting to. Once a connector is set up, you can enable or disable it per conversation using the '+' menu in the chat interface. Claude only gains access to data through the specific tools the connector exposes, and only for the individual user who authenticated—so connecting a team workspace doesn't give Claude access to your colleagues' private data.