Audience: All users of the full UChicago Claude Enterprise configuration. Not applicable to HIPAA Claude users (most connectors are disabled in that configuration — see KB06004839).
Summary: Connectors let Claude read content from University services you already use — such as your email, calendar, and files — after you individually authorize the connection. This article explains which connectors are available, how to connect and use them, known limitations, common errors, and how to request new connectors.
Contents
Claude Enterprise Connectors at UChicago
A weekly-updated list of requested connectors and their review status is available by visiting our Claude Connectors at UChicago article.
What connectors are
A connector is an authorized link between your Claude account and another University (such as Gmail or Microsoft 365) or third-party service (such as Airtable or Slack). Once you connect a service, Claude can search and read content from it to answer your questions — for example, finding an email thread, summarizing a document in your Google Drive, or checking your calendar.
Three properties define how connectors work at UChicago:
- Connectors are per-user. You authorize each connection yourself, with your own University credentials. Claude can only see what your account can see. There is no admin-side bulk connection, and connecting a service grants no one else access to your data.
- Connectors are read-focused. Most connectors let Claude search and read. Write capabilities are limited and vary by service (see the Known limitations section).
- Connectors are reviewed by University security individually. Only connectors that have completed a University security review appear in your Claude settings. The review process ensures that your security and privacy are preserved.
What connectors are not
- Not a shared data source for team Projects. Because authentication is per-user, a connector you set up does not work for collaborators in a shared Project. If a Project needs consistent reference material for everyone, upload static copies of the documents to the Project knowledge instead, sourced from the system of record, with a version stamp and a refresh cadence.
- Not a change to your data-handling obligations. Connecting a service does not authorize new uses of sensitive data. University data-classification rules apply to what you ask Claude to do with connected content, exactly as they apply to anything you upload directly. If your use involves sensitive data, confirm it with the relevant data steward first.
Connector types and how they are made available
There are three types of connectors:
- Enterprise systems: These connectors are to systems that are managed by the University and they get turned on after extensive security review, especially for systems that can contain Personal Health Information (PHI).
- Third-party software tools: Tools used by individuals or small teams across campus are only reviewed upon request and enabled if they meet our requirements for security, privacy, data handling and maturity. You can submit a request for a new connector to be reviewed by submitting the Claude Enterprise Support Request form.
- Public data sources: These are to public data sources such as PubMed or Arxiv. They still require a security review before getting enabled. Please submit the Claude Enterprise Support Request form for these as well.
Review criteria
Our review criteria for connectors include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Will the connector process personal health information (PHI) using functionality not covered by the University's approved HIPAA implementation?
- Will the connector disclose FERPA-protected student records to a third party that is not covered by a University enterprise agreement providing the required institutional control?
- Will the connector disclose Restricted or Sensitive Personally Identifying Information (PII) to a third party without an approved enterprise agreement?
- Is the data subject to an non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that prohibits disclosure to third parties?
- Is the research data governed by a data usage agreement (DUA), sponsor agreement, or Institutional Review Board (IRB) restriction prohibiting third-party processing?
- Would export-controlled or otherwise legally restricted data be processed?
- Does any contractual obligation prohibit use of external AI services or subcontractors?
- Is the connector listed in Anthropic's Connectors Directory?
- Is the connector's release status Generally Available (GA)?
- What type of connected service is this?
- Does the University have an executed agreement with the connected service?
HIPAA Claude users: Most connectors are disabled in the HIPAA configuration because connector data flows to third-party services, which Anthropic's Business Associate Agreement does not cover. Only connectors where the target systems (e.g. Microsoft, Box, etc.) have their own BAAs will be considered. Please do not attempt to work around this, including via a personal Claude account. Visit our Full vs. HIPAA Version article for more details.
Connector domain restriction
In June 2026, Anthropic introduced a new option for improved security of connectors in Claude. Under the “connector domain restriction” option, only Claude accounts in our enterprise can connect supported connectors using a uchicago.edu email. This setting is enabled in our environment to ensure that users cannot connect a personal Claude account to target systems such as Microsoft, Box or others with sensitive data. As of July 22, 2026, the connectors that require this are:
- Google Drive, Google Calendar, Gmail
- Microsoft 365
- Airtable
- Asana
- Atlassian
- Canva
- Figma
- HubSpot
- Linear
- Miro
- Notion
- Slack
- Smartsheet
(Note: Not all of these connectors are enabled for UChicago.) Anthropic is adding more connectors to this list every week. This means that if you connected to one of these tools using a non-uchicago.edu address before, it might stop working when the option is enabled.
Connect a service
- Sign in to Claude at https://claude.ai with your CNetID@uchicago.edu address via SSO.
Tip: If your browser uses a profile, ensure you're signed in using your uchicago account, not your personal account! - Click your name in the lower-left corner, then Settings.
- Select Connectors.
- Find the service you want and click Connect.
- You are redirected to the provider's sign-in page. Sign in with your account with the provider. The example below is linking Claude for Google Drive.
- Review the consent screen, which lists what Claude will be able to access, and approve it. The example below is linking Claude for Google Drive.
- The connector now shows as connected in your settings with a checkbox.
Notes:
- Connect with your UChicago account, not a personal Google or Microsoft account. Content in personal accounts is outside the University's agreements.
- You can disconnect any connector at any time from the same settings page. Disconnecting revokes Claude's access immediately; it does not delete any content from the underlying service.
- Every user who wants to use a connector performs these steps themselves. There is no way for IT Services or a project owner to connect a service on your behalf.
Tips for using connectors
Once connected, you can use the service in two ways:
- Ask naturally. Claude decides when a connected service is relevant. "Summarize the emails I received from the provost's office this week" will use Gmail; "what's on my calendar Thursday" will use Google Calendar.
- Name the source. If you want Claude to use a specific service, say so: "Search my SharePoint for the FY26 budget deck."
The first time Claude wants to use a connector in a conversation, it asks for your approval before the request runs. Clicking Allow approves that action. You can approve per-request or, where offered, allow a tool for the rest of the conversation. This prompt is a deliberate control point: it lets you confirm what Claude is about to access before it happens.
Example prompts:
- Google Drive: "Find the latest version of the onboarding checklist in my Drive and summarize what changed."
- Gmail: "Did I get a reply from Facilities about the server room request? Summarize the thread."
- Google Calendar: "What meetings do I have next week that involve people outside my department?"
- Microsoft 365: "Search Teams for the discussion about the licensing renewal and pull out the action items."
Known limitations
These limitations are current behavior, and intended by design.
Microsoft 365
- All Microsoft services fall under a single Microsoft 365 connector. There are no separate Outlook, Teams, or SharePoint connectors to look for.
- Teams is read/search only. Claude can find and summarize messages but cannot post to channels or chats.
- Planner and Microsoft To Do have no connector tools. Claude cannot read or manage tasks in these services.
- SharePoint write access covers files only. Claude cannot create or modify SharePoint list items.
All connectors
- Shared Projects cannot rely on connectors. Collaborators do not inherit your connections. Use static uploads to Project knowledge for shared reference material (see the What connectors are section).
- Freshness depends on the provider. Claude queries the service live at the time of your request, but search coverage and indexing behavior are determined by the provider, not by Claude.
- Credential changes can break a connection. After a CNetID password change or the app no longer can connect to the account, a connector may need to be disconnected and reconnected.
Request a new connector
Requests for additional third-party connectors are evaluated case by case. Approval depends on the data protection terms of the University's agreement with the connector provider, and each approved connector completes a security review before it is enabled.
To request a new connector, please submit the Claude Enterprise Support Request form.
Include the service name, your use case, and the type of University data involved. All requests are logged, so demand for a given connector is tracked even when the request cannot be approved immediately. Review time can vary per connector. We will be publishing a list of all requested connectors and their respective statuses soon.