Setting Up a Custom MCP
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Native Claude connectors are convenient because they are one click. But the universe of useful tools is much larger than the native connector directory. Many tools — including some you probably already use — only have MCP server access, not native connectors. The good news: setting up a custom MCP connection takes about 60 seconds once you know the pattern. The tool publishes an MCP URL on its developer docs page. You copy it. You go to Cowork’s connectors panel, click Add Custom Connector, paste the URL, give it a name, click Add, click Connect, authorise in the browser. Done. This chapter walks through that pattern with Fathom as the example. The same pattern works for any MCP-only tool.
Fathom has actually published a native Claude connector at this point. We use it for the demo because it is a clean example, but in real life you would just use the native connector. The technique is what matters — you will hit MCP-only tools in the wild and will need this skill.
Search Claude's connector directory to see whether the tool has a native connector or an MCP integration. If it is not listed, check the tool's developer documentation.
Find the tool's MCP endpoint in its developer docs and copy the provided URL.
In Settings → Connectors, select Add Custom Connector, give it a name, and paste the MCP URL. Add an API key if required.
Click Connect, complete the sign-in process, and grant the requested permissions.
Ask Claude to perform a simple action, such as listing recent meetings or retrieving your account information, to confirm the connection works.
Once multiple connectors are available, ask Claude to merge information across them, such as combining meeting summaries from Otter and Fathom into a single report.
Why This Matters
Not every service has a native Claude connector, but many provide an MCP server that offers the same functionality. Learning how to configure custom MCP connectors lets you integrate a much wider range of tools and prepares you for future services that adopt the protocol.
What You Should Be Able to Do
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
- Distinguish between native connectors and MCP integrations.
- Find an MCP endpoint in a tool's developer documentation.
- Add and configure a custom MCP connector in Claude.
- Verify that the connection works by performing a simple test.
- Combine data from multiple connected tools in a single workflow.
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Setting Up a Custom MCP
Native Claude connectors are convenient because they are one click. But the universe of useful tools is much larger than the native connector directory. Many tools — including some you probably already use — only have MCP server access, not native connectors. The good news: setting up a custom MCP connection takes about 60 seconds once you know the pattern. The tool publishes an MCP URL on its developer docs page. You copy it. You go to Cowork’s connectors panel, click Add Custom Connector, paste the URL, give it a name, click Add, click Connect, authorise in the browser. Done. This chapter walks through that pattern with Fathom as the example. The same pattern works for any MCP-only tool.
Fathom has actually published a native Claude connector at this point. We use it for the demo because it is a clean example, but in real life you would just use the native connector. The technique is what matters — you will hit MCP-only tools in the wild and will need this skill.
Search Claude's connector directory to see whether the tool has a native connector or an MCP integration. If it is not listed, check the tool's developer documentation.
Find the tool's MCP endpoint in its developer docs and copy the provided URL.
In Settings → Connectors, select Add Custom Connector, give it a name, and paste the MCP URL. Add an API key if required.
Click Connect, complete the sign-in process, and grant the requested permissions.
Ask Claude to perform a simple action, such as listing recent meetings or retrieving your account information, to confirm the connection works.
Once multiple connectors are available, ask Claude to merge information across them, such as combining meeting summaries from Otter and Fathom into a single report.
Why This Matters
Not every service has a native Claude connector, but many provide an MCP server that offers the same functionality. Learning how to configure custom MCP connectors lets you integrate a much wider range of tools and prepares you for future services that adopt the protocol.
What You Should Be Able to Do
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
- Distinguish between native connectors and MCP integrations.
- Find an MCP endpoint in a tool's developer documentation.
- Add and configure a custom MCP connector in Claude.
- Verify that the connection works by performing a simple test.
- Combine data from multiple connected tools in a single workflow.
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