How to Use Claude App Integrations: The Complete Guide

• Anthropic has rolled out native integrations inside Claude, connecting the AI assistant to Google Drive, GitHub, Notion, Slack, Zapier, and more — turning it into a productivity command center.
• Users on Claude Pro and Team plans can connect apps through Settings > Integrations or via MCP (Model Context Protocol), Anthropic’s open standard for AI-to-app communication.
• Claude can now search your Google Drive, review GitHub pull requests, query Notion workspaces, automate workflows through Zapier, and summarize Slack threads — all without leaving the conversation.
• File uploads support PDFs, CSVs, images, and codebases up to 500 pages, making Claude one of the most capable AI assistants for document analysis in 2026.
• All integrations respect Anthropic’s data privacy policy: conversations with connected apps are not used for model training on Pro and Team plans.

How to Set Up Integrations in Claude

There are two paths. The simplest: open Claude, go to Settings > Integrations, and browse the list of available apps. Click Connect next to any app, sign in with your credentials, and grant permissions. The whole process takes under a minute per app.

The second path is MCP. Anthropic built Model Context Protocol as an open standard that lets any developer connect their tool to Claude. MCP servers run locally or in the cloud, and they give Claude structured access to external data — files, databases, APIs, code repositories. For most users, the built-in integrations are enough. For developers and power users, MCP unlocks custom connections to virtually anything.

Once connected, apps appear as context sources in your conversations. Claude automatically detects when an integration is relevant — mention a Google Drive file by name, and it pulls it in. You can also explicitly invoke an integration by referencing it in your prompt. Disconnect any app at any time from the same Settings > Integrations panel.

Quick guide:

1. Open Claude and log into your Pro or Team account.
2. Go to Settings > Integrations.
3. Browse available apps and click Connect next to the ones you want.
4. Sign in to each app and grant permissions.
5. For custom integrations, configure an MCP server and connect it through Settings > MCP.
6. To disconnect, return to Settings > Integrations and click Remove.

Google Drive — Document Search and Summarization

The Google Drive integration is the most-used Claude app connection. Once linked, Claude can search across your entire Drive — Docs, Sheets, Slides, and PDFs. Ask it to “find the Q4 revenue report from December” and it returns the document with a summary. Ask it to compare two spreadsheets, and it pulls both into context and highlights the differences.

Where this integration shines is analysis. Upload a 200-page contract from Drive and ask Claude to extract every clause related to liability. Feed it a folder of meeting notes and request a weekly summary. Claude handles documents up to 500 pages, which puts it ahead of most competitors for long-document analysis in 2026.

Limitations exist. Claude can read Google Drive files but cannot write to them — no creating or editing Docs from the chat. It also cannot access files shared via link-only unless they are in your Drive. Search is limited to files you own or that have been directly shared with your account.

Quick guide:

1. Go to Settings > Integrations and connect your Google account.
2. Grant Claude read access to your Google Drive.
3. Ask Claude to search for specific documents by name, date, or content.
4. Upload documents directly from Drive into a conversation for analysis.
5. Request summaries, comparisons, or extractions across multiple files.
6. Note: Claude can read but not write to Google Drive.

GitHub — Code Review and Repository Search

The GitHub integration turns Claude into a code review partner. Connect your GitHub account and Claude gains access to your repositories, pull requests, issues, and commit history. Ask it to “summarize the last 10 commits on main” or “review PR #247 for security issues” and it delivers structured, actionable feedback.

Claude can search across repositories, explain unfamiliar codebases, and generate documentation from source code. Point it at a repo and ask “what does this project do?” — it reads the structure, key files, and README, then produces a concise overview. For teams onboarding new engineers, this alone saves hours.

The integration supports public and private repositories. Claude respects your GitHub permissions — it can only access repos your account has access to. It cannot merge pull requests, push commits, or modify code directly. All actions are read-only, which keeps your codebase safe.

Quick guide:

1. Go to Settings > Integrations and connect your GitHub account.
2. Grant Claude access to the repositories you want it to read.
3. Ask Claude to review pull requests — e.g., “review PR #247 for bugs and style issues.”
4. Search across repos: “find all files that import the payments module.”
5. Request documentation generation from source code.
6. Ask for commit history summaries and changelog drafts.
7. Note: Claude has read-only access — it cannot push, merge, or modify code.

Notion — Workspace Search and Content Creation

Notion is one of the deepest Claude integrations. Once connected, Claude can search your entire Notion workspace — pages, databases, wikis, and project boards. Ask it to “find all tasks assigned to me that are overdue” or “summarize the product roadmap for Q2” and it navigates your workspace to deliver answers.

Beyond search, Claude can create new Notion pages from conversation context. Finish a brainstorming session in Claude and tell it to “create a Notion page with these action items.” It generates a structured page with headers, bullet points, and tags — ready for your team to review. It can also update existing database entries, making it useful for CRM workflows and project tracking.

Access follows your Notion permissions. Claude can only read pages and databases you have shared with the integration. Private pages remain private unless explicitly connected.

Quick guide:

1. Go to Settings > Integrations and connect your Notion workspace.
2. Select which pages and databases Claude can access.
3. Ask Claude to search your workspace — e.g., “find the design system documentation.”
4. Request summaries of databases, project boards, or meeting notes.
5. Tell Claude to create new Notion pages from conversation context.
6. Update existing database entries directly from the chat.

Zapier — Workflow Automation Across 7,000 Apps

The Zapier integration is where Claude becomes an automation engine. Zapier connects to over 7,000 apps — from Gmail and Google Sheets to HubSpot, Salesforce, and Airtable. Linking it to Claude means you can trigger multi-step workflows from a single prompt.

Tell Claude to “add this lead to our HubSpot CRM, send them a welcome email via Gmail, and create a follow-up task in Asana” — and Zapier executes each step. Claude handles the logic; Zapier handles the connections. For small teams without dedicated ops staff, this replaces hours of manual data entry every week.

Setup requires a Zapier account with the apps you want to automate already connected. Claude accesses Zapier through a pre-built MCP integration. Complex workflows may need a Zapier paid plan — the free tier supports up to 5 single-step automations.

Quick guide:

1. Create a Zapier account and connect the apps you want to automate.
2. Go to Claude’s Settings > Integrations and link your Zapier account.
3. Describe the workflow you want — e.g., “when I close a deal, update the CRM and notify the team on Slack.”
4. Claude configures the Zapier automation and runs it.
5. Review triggered actions in your Zapier dashboard.
6. Edit or disable automations at any time from Zapier’s interface.

Slack — Message Search and Channel Summaries

The Slack integration gives Claude access to your workspace conversations. Connect it and ask “what did the engineering team discuss about the API migration this week?” — Claude searches relevant channels, threads, and DMs (that you have access to) and returns a structured summary.

This is particularly valuable for catching up after time off. Ask Claude to “summarize everything important in #general, #product, and #engineering from the last 5 days” and it delivers a digest organized by topic. It can also surface specific messages — “find the message where Sarah shared the new pricing doc” — cutting through thousands of Slack messages in seconds.

Claude cannot send messages to Slack channels or DMs. The integration is read-only, designed for search and summarization. It respects Slack’s permission model — Claude can only access channels and threads your account can see.

Quick guide:

1. Go to Settings > Integrations and connect your Slack workspace.
2. Grant Claude access to the channels you want it to search.
3. Ask for channel summaries — e.g., “summarize #product from the last 3 days.”
4. Search for specific messages, files, or links shared in Slack.
5. Request a digest after time off: “what did I miss this week?”
6. Note: Claude can search Slack but cannot send messages.

Web Search — Real-Time Information and Fact-Checking

Claude’s built-in web search does not require any integration setup — it is available by default on all paid plans. When Claude detects that a question needs current information, it searches the web automatically and cites its sources. Ask “what is Tesla’s stock price today?” or “who won the Champions League last night?” and Claude fetches real-time results.

Web search is also useful for research-heavy tasks. Ask Claude to “find the five most recent funding rounds in the AI infrastructure space” and it aggregates results from multiple sources, cross-references data, and presents a summary with links. Every claim includes a citation, making it easy to verify.

You can force a web search by adding “search the web” to any prompt. Claude will always indicate when a response includes web-sourced information versus its training data. The feature works globally — no geographic restrictions.

Quick guide:

1. Web search is enabled by default on Claude Pro and Team plans.
2. Ask any question that requires current information — Claude searches automatically.
3. Add “search the web” to force a web search on any prompt.
4. Review citations at the bottom of Claude’s response to verify sources.
5. Use web search for research: “find recent articles about AI regulation in the EU.”
6. Claude distinguishes between web-sourced and training-data responses.

File Uploads — PDFs, CSVs, Images, and Code

File analysis is one of Claude’s strongest capabilities, and it works without any integration. Drag and drop files directly into the chat — PDFs, CSVs, Excel spreadsheets, images, code files, and even entire project folders. Claude supports uploads up to 500 pages per document and can process multiple files in a single conversation.

For PDFs, Claude extracts text, tables, and structure. Ask it to “compare these two contracts and list every difference” or “extract all financial data from this 300-page annual report.” For CSVs and spreadsheets, Claude performs data analysis — filtering, aggregating, identifying trends, and generating summaries. For images, it reads text via OCR, describes visual content, and interprets charts and diagrams.

The 500-page limit puts Claude ahead of ChatGPT and Gemini for document-heavy workflows. Uploaded files are processed in Claude’s context window and are not stored beyond the conversation unless you save them to a project.

Quick guide:

1. Drag and drop files directly into any Claude conversation.
2. Supported formats: PDF, CSV, XLSX, PNG, JPG, SVG, code files, and ZIP archives.
3. Ask Claude to summarize, compare, or extract data from uploaded documents.
4. For spreadsheets, request analysis: “what are the top 10 customers by revenue?”
5. For images, ask Claude to read text, describe visuals, or interpret charts.
6. Upload multiple files at once for cross-document analysis.
7. Files are not stored beyond the conversation unless saved to a project.

Privacy, Data Sharing, and Limitations

Every integration shares data with Claude. Google Drive gives it access to your files. GitHub exposes your repositories. Slack opens your conversations. Anthropic’s privacy policy is clear on one point: conversations on Pro and Team plans are not used to train models. This is a meaningful distinction from competitors that use chat data for training by default.

That said, data still flows through Anthropic’s servers during processing. Disconnect integrations you are not using. Review permissions regularly — especially for Slack and Google Drive, which can expose sensitive information. For enterprise customers, Anthropic offers dedicated instances with stricter data isolation and compliance certifications including SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA.

Availability varies by plan. Most integrations require Claude Pro ($20/month) or Team ($30/user/month). MCP connections are available on all paid plans. The free tier has no integration support. Geographic availability is global — unlike ChatGPT’s app integrations, Claude’s connections are not restricted to the U.S. and Canada.

Quick guide to protect your privacy:

1. Review permissions for every app before connecting.
2. Disconnect integrations you are not actively using from Settings > Integrations.
3. Pro and Team plan conversations are not used for model training.
4. Enterprise customers can request dedicated instances for stricter data isolation.
5. Check Anthropic’s privacy policy for the latest data handling details.

Anthropic Integrations Announcement | Model Context Protocol Documentation | Anthropic Help Center