Configuring Connectors - Knowledge Work Plugins

What Are Connectors?

Connectors wire Claude to your external tools via Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. They enable Claude to:

Read from your CRM, project tracker, data warehouse, email, chat, etc.
Write updates back to those systems (create tasks, log activities, send messages)
Stay in sync with your actual workflow instead of working in isolation

Without connectors: Skills work with whatever information you provide manually. With connectors: Claude pulls context automatically and can update systems for you.

The .mcp.json File

Connector configuration lives in .mcp.json at the root of each plugin:

sales/
├── .claude-plugin/
├── .mcp.json          ← Connector configuration
├── commands/
└── skills/

The .mcp.json file is standard JSON — edit it with any text editor.

Example: Sales Plugin Connectors

Here’s the default .mcp.json from the sales plugin:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "slack": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.slack.com/mcp"
    },
    "hubspot": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.hubspot.com/anthropic"
    },
    "close": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.close.com/mcp"
    },
    "clay": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.clay.com/v3/mcp"
    },
    "zoominfo": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.zoominfo.com/mcp"
    },
    "notion": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.notion.com/mcp"
    },
    "atlassian": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.atlassian.com/v1/mcp"
    },
    "fireflies": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.fireflies.ai/mcp"
    },
    "ms365": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://microsoft365.mcp.claude.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

How Connectors Are Used

Skills automatically use available connectors when relevant. For example, the call-prep skill: Without connectors:

Asks you: “What company are you meeting with?”
Asks you: “Who’s attending?”
Asks you: “Any context you want me to know?”
Uses web search for company research

With CRM + Calendar connectors:

Finds your upcoming meeting in your calendar
Pulls company and contact details from your CRM
Gets deal history and recent activities automatically
Still does web research for latest news
Combines all sources into a comprehensive prep brief

Skills gracefully degrade — they work without connectors but get significantly better with them.

Customizing for Your Tool Stack

Step 1: Identify your tools

Look at which tools your team actually uses: For sales plugin:

CRM: HubSpot, Salesforce, Close, Pipedrive?
Enrichment: Clay, ZoomInfo, Apollo, Clearbit?
Calendar: Google Calendar, Outlook?
Email: Gmail, Outlook?
Chat: Slack, Microsoft Teams?
Call recording: Gong, Fireflies, Chorus?

For support plugin:

Ticketing: Intercom, Zendesk, Freshdesk?
Knowledge base: Guru, Notion, Confluence?
Chat: Slack, Microsoft Teams?
CRM: HubSpot, Salesforce?

For product plugin:

Project management: Linear, Asana, Jira, Monday?
Docs: Notion, Confluence, Coda?
Design: Figma?
Analytics: Amplitude, Mixpanel, Pendo?

Step 2: Find the MCP server URLs

Most major tools have official MCP servers. Check:

Tool’s documentation: Look for “MCP integration” or “Claude integration”
MCP Registry: Browse modelcontextprotocol.io/servers
Plugin marketplace: See what other plugins use

If a tool doesn’t have an MCP server yet, the skill will work without it — you’ll just need to provide information manually.

Step 3: Edit .mcp.json

Open the file

cd ~/path-to-plugin/sales/
code .mcp.json

Add your tool's connector

Replace or add entries with your tool’s MCP server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "your-tool-name": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://your-tool.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Remove unused connectors

Delete entries for tools you don’t use:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "slack": { ... },
    "hubspot": { ... }
    // Removed: clay, zoominfo, etc.
  }
}

Save the file

Save your changes. The plugin will use the new configuration immediately.

Connector Configuration Examples

Example 1: Minimal Sales Setup

You use HubSpot for CRM and Slack for communication:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "slack": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.slack.com/mcp"
    },
    "hubspot": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.hubspot.com/anthropic"
    }
  }
}

What this enables:

Call prep pulls deal history from HubSpot
Account research checks HubSpot for prior relationships
Draft outreach checks HubSpot for existing contacts
Pipeline review reads opportunities from HubSpot
Internal intel comes from Slack channel discussions

Example 2: Full Sales Stack

You use HubSpot, Slack, Gmail, Google Calendar, and Fireflies:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "slack": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.slack.com/mcp"
    },
    "hubspot": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.hubspot.com/anthropic"
    },
    "gmail": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://gmail.mcp.claude.com/mcp"
    },
    "google-calendar": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://gcal.mcp.claude.com/mcp"
    },
    "fireflies": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.fireflies.ai/mcp"
    }
  }
}

What this enables:

Automatically finds upcoming meetings from Google Calendar
Pulls email threads from Gmail for context
Gets call transcripts from Fireflies
Updates HubSpot after calls
Searches Slack for internal intel
Creates email drafts directly in Gmail

Example 3: Product Management Stack

You use Linear, Notion, Figma, and Amplitude:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "linear": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.linear.app/mcp"
    },
    "notion": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.notion.com/mcp"
    },
    "figma": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.figma.com/mcp"
    },
    "amplitude": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.amplitude.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

What this enables:

Spec writing pulls related issues from Linear
Roadmap planning reads current projects from Linear
Research synthesis searches Notion for user research notes
Design reviews reference Figma files
Feature analysis pulls usage data from Amplitude

Example 4: Switching CRMs (Salesforce instead of HubSpot)

You use Salesforce instead of HubSpot:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "salesforce": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.salesforce.com/mcp"
    },
    "slack": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.slack.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Skills are connector-agnostic — they ask for “CRM data” and work with whatever CRM you’ve configured.

Connector Types

MCP supports different connector types:

HTTP/HTTPS (Most Common)

{
  "your-tool": {
    "type": "http",
    "url": "https://your-tool.com/mcp"
  }
}

Used for: Cloud-hosted tools with HTTP APIs (CRMs, project trackers, etc.)

Local/Command (For CLI Tools)

{
  "local-tool": {
    "type": "command",
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y", "@your-tool/mcp-server"]
  }
}

Used for: Local development tools, databases, file systems

Authenticated Services

Some connectors require authentication configuration:

{
  "your-tool": {
    "type": "http",
    "url": "https://your-tool.com/mcp",
    "auth": {
      "type": "bearer",
      "token": "${YOUR_TOOL_TOKEN}"
    }
  }
}

Never hardcode API keys in .mcp.json. Use environment variables like ${YOUR_TOOL_TOKEN}.

Authentication Setup

Most MCP servers handle authentication through OAuth when you first use them:

Add connector to .mcp.json

Configure the tool’s MCP server URL

Use a skill that needs that connector

For example: “Prep me for my call with Acme Corp”

Authenticate when prompted

Claude will prompt you to authenticate with the tool

Grant permissions

Approve the requested permissions in the tool’s OAuth flow

Use the connector

Claude can now read/write data from that tool

Testing Your Connectors

Check if connectors are working:

# Ask Claude to prep a call
"Prep me for my call with [Company in your CRM]"

# Claude should:
# ✓ Find the meeting in your calendar
# ✓ Pull company details from CRM
# ✓ Get recent email threads
# ✓ Search Slack for internal discussions

Troubleshooting

If connectors aren’t working:

Check the URL: Make sure it’s the correct MCP server endpoint
Verify authentication: Re-authenticate if needed
Check permissions: Ensure Claude has the required access scopes
Test manually: Try accessing the tool directly to confirm access
Check skill execution: Watch Claude’s workflow — does it try to use the connector?

Claude will tell you if a connector isn’t working and fall back to asking for information manually.

What Connectors Enable Per Skill

Here’s how connectors enhance specific skills:

Call Prep Skill

Connector	What It Adds
CRM	Account details, contact history, open deals, recent activities
Email	Recent threads with the company, open questions, attachments shared
Chat	Internal discussions about the account, colleague insights
Transcripts	Prior call recordings, topics covered, competitor mentions
Calendar	Auto-find meeting, pull attendees and description

From call-prep/SKILL.md:54

Account Research Skill

Connector	What It Adds
Enrichment	Verified emails, phone, tech stack, org chart
CRM	Prior relationship, past opportunities, contacts

From account-research/SKILL.md:50

Draft Outreach Skill

Connector	What It Adds
Enrichment	Verified email, phone, background details
CRM	Prior relationship context, existing contacts
Email	Create draft directly in your inbox

From draft-outreach/SKILL.md:11

Connector Best Practices

Start Minimal

Connect 2-3 core tools first, add more as you see value

Match Your Workflow

Only add connectors for tools your team actually uses daily

Test Thoroughly

Verify each connector works before adding the next one

Keep It Updated

When you switch tools, update .mcp.json immediately

Do’s and Don’ts

Do:

✅ Add connectors for tools you use every day
✅ Remove connectors for tools you don’t use
✅ Test each connector after adding it
✅ Use environment variables for sensitive credentials

Don’t:

❌ Add every available connector “just in case”
❌ Hardcode API keys in .mcp.json
❌ Leave connectors for tools you’ve stopped using
❌ Share .mcp.json with credentials exposed

Advanced: Custom MCP Servers

If your company uses internal tools without MCP servers, you can build your own. See the MCP documentation for:

Creating custom MCP servers
Wrapping internal APIs
Building company-specific connectors

Building custom MCP servers requires development work. Start with existing connectors first.

Security Considerations

Security best practices for connectors:

Use OAuth when available — More secure than API keys
Scope permissions narrowly — Only grant the minimum required access
Use environment variables — Never commit credentials to version control
Review access regularly — Audit what Claude can read/write
Revoke unused connectors — Remove auth for tools you’re not using

Get Started

Core Concepts

Business Plugins

Operations Plugins

Technical Plugins

Specialized Plugins

Customization

Building Plugins

​What Are Connectors?

​The .mcp.json File

​Example: Sales Plugin Connectors

​How Connectors Are Used

​Customizing for Your Tool Stack

​Step 1: Identify your tools

​Step 2: Find the MCP server URLs

​Step 3: Edit .mcp.json

​Connector Configuration Examples

​Example 1: Minimal Sales Setup

​Example 2: Full Sales Stack

​Example 3: Product Management Stack

​Example 4: Switching CRMs (Salesforce instead of HubSpot)

​Connector Types

​HTTP/HTTPS (Most Common)

​Local/Command (For CLI Tools)

​Authenticated Services

​Authentication Setup

​Testing Your Connectors

​Check if connectors are working:

​Troubleshooting

​What Connectors Enable Per Skill

​Call Prep Skill

​Account Research Skill

​Draft Outreach Skill

​Connector Best Practices

Start Minimal

Match Your Workflow

Test Thoroughly

Keep It Updated

​Do’s and Don’ts

​Advanced: Custom MCP Servers

​Security Considerations

​Next Steps

Add Company Context

Modify Workflows

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

What Are Connectors?

The .mcp.json File

Example: Sales Plugin Connectors

How Connectors Are Used

Customizing for Your Tool Stack

Step 1: Identify your tools

Step 2: Find the MCP server URLs

Step 3: Edit .mcp.json

Connector Configuration Examples

Example 1: Minimal Sales Setup

Example 2: Full Sales Stack

Example 3: Product Management Stack

Example 4: Switching CRMs (Salesforce instead of HubSpot)

Connector Types

HTTP/HTTPS (Most Common)

Local/Command (For CLI Tools)

Authenticated Services

Authentication Setup

Testing Your Connectors

Check if connectors are working:

Troubleshooting

What Connectors Enable Per Skill

Call Prep Skill

Account Research Skill

Draft Outreach Skill

Connector Best Practices

Do’s and Don’ts

Advanced: Custom MCP Servers

Security Considerations

Next Steps