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Claude skills, plugins and connectors explained

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Short answer

Connectors link Claude to apps such as Google Drive, Slack or Notion. Skills are instruction folders that teach Claude a task, and plugins bundle skills, connectors, commands and agents into one install. As of October 2026 all three cost nothing extra and are added from Customize in claude.ai or the desktop app, but plugins need a paid plan (Pro is $20 a month, or $17 a month billed yearly).

Anthropic offers three kinds of Claude add-ons: connectors, skills and plugins. This guide is based on the official documentation as of October 2026.

Connectors, skills and plugins in one minute

A connector lets Claude reach an outside app, such as Gmail or Notion. A skill is a set of written instructions that teaches Claude to do one task your way. A plugin is a package that installs several skills and connectors at once. You add all three from the Customize page in claude.ai or the desktop app.

Add-on What it does Example Plans
Connector Reads from and acts in an outside app Search your Google Drive All plans, including Free
Skill Teaches Claude a task, step by step Build a spreadsheet your way See the plan notes below
Plugin Installs skills, connectors, commands and agents together A sales plugin for call prep Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise

What you add is saved to your account, per Anthropic's overview page. It follows you to the web, desktop and mobile apps, and to Claude Code.

What is a Claude connector?

A connector is a link between Claude and an app you already use, such as Slack, Asana or Microsoft 365. Once connected, Claude can search that app and take actions you approve. Connectors run on MCP (Model Context Protocol), an open standard for plugging AI models into outside tools and data.

Each listing carries a label, per Anthropic's verification page. Verified means Anthropic tested its tools for quality and compatibility. Community means Anthropic screened it but did not review it in depth. Custom means you added it yourself and Anthropic has not reviewed it.

Some connectors are interactive. Built on MCP Apps, they show live content inside the chat, such as an Asana task board or a FigJam diagram. Anthropic's help center lists eight: Amplitude, Asana, Box, Canva, Clay, Figma, Hex and Slack. They work on every plan, including Free, on web, desktop and mobile. You cannot make purchases through them.

What is a Claude skill?

A skill is a folder with a file called SKILL.md. That file holds a name, a short description and step-by-step instructions. It can also include scripts and reference files. Claude reads only the name and description at first. It loads the full instructions only when your request matches.

Anthropic launched Agent Skills on October 16, 2025. On December 18, 2025, it added organization-wide skill management and published the format as an open standard. The Agent Skills site lists dozens of adopters, including ChatGPT and Codex, Gemini CLI, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Hermes Agent and OpenClaw.

Per the Skills overview, skills come from Anthropic (Excel, Word, PowerPoint and PDF), partners, your Team or Enterprise organization, or you.

Skills differ from Projects. A Project's knowledge is always loaded in that project's chats, while a skill loads only when a task matches it.

What is a Claude plugin?

A plugin is an installable bundle. One plugin can hold skills, connectors, slash commands, sub-agents and hooks. Sub-agents are helpers Claude hands part of a job to. Hooks are small scripts that run automatically at set moments.

Anthropic launched Claude Code plugins on October 9, 2025. Cowork plugins followed on January 30, 2026, with 11 open-source plugins for roles such as sales, finance, legal and marketing.

Not every part runs everywhere, per Anthropic's platform support page.

Plugin part Chat (web, desktop, mobile) Cowork Claude Code
Skills Yes Yes Yes
Commands Loaded as skills Yes Yes
Agents and hooks Ignored Yes Yes
Remote connectors Yes, once connected Yes Yes
Local MCP servers Ignored Yes, when it runs on your computer Yes

Anthropic's Knowledge Work marketplace is added by default. You can also add its Financial Services, Legal and Life Sciences marketplaces, per Anthropic's help center.

On September 16, 2026, Anthropic said Cowork and chat are merging into one Claude. It is rolling out on Pro and Max first, with more plans to follow.

How to turn them on

Open Customize from the sidebar in claude.ai or the desktop app. Connectors, Skills and Plugins each have their own page with a Discover tab. Pick an item, add it, then sign in to any service it needs. In a chat, the plus (+) menu switches each connector on or off for that conversation.

Connectors

  1. Go to Customize > Connectors and select Discover.
  2. Pick a connector and select Connect to Claude.
  3. Sign in to the service and approve the access it asks for.
  4. In a chat, open + > Connectors and check that its toggle is on.

On Team and Enterprise, an Owner adds the connector first. You then connect your own account.

Skills

  1. Turn on Code execution and file creation under Settings > Capabilities. On Team and Enterprise, an Owner turns it on in Organization settings.
  2. Open Customize > Skills and turn on the skill you want.
  3. Describe your task, or type / in the message box to pick a skill.

To make your own, write a SKILL.md with a name (lowercase letters, numbers and hyphens, up to 64 characters) and a description (up to 1,024 characters). Zip the folder, then choose Customize > Skills > + > Upload a skill. Or turn on Anthropic's skill-creator skill and draft one with Claude, per the custom skills guide. On Team and Enterprise, Share and Publish to org send a skill to colleagues.

Plugins

  1. Open Customize > Plugins > Discover and select Add. You can also add a marketplace from GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket, or upload a .zip.
  2. Connect any bundled connectors from the plugin's Connectors tab.

To build your own plugin, choose Customize > Plugins > Add > Create with Claude.

Plugins on your account sync to Claude Code at the next session start, or run /reload-plugins there.

Which plan you need and what it costs

Connectors, skills and plugins cost nothing on top of your Claude subscription. Plugins need a paid plan, and Pro is the cheapest at $20 a month, or $17 a month billed yearly. Connectors work on every plan, including Free. The app a connector reaches may still need its own account or paid plan.

Plan Price (claude.com/pricing) Connectors Skills Plugins
Free $0 Yes, plus one custom connector Pricing page says yes; Skills docs say Pro and up No
Pro $20/month, or $17/month billed yearly Yes Yes Yes
Max From $100/month Yes Yes Yes
Team $25/seat/month, or $20 billed yearly (standard); $125, or $100 billed yearly (premium) Yes, an Owner adds them Yes Yes
Enterprise $20/seat/month billed yearly, plus usage that scales with model and task Yes, an Owner adds them Yes Yes

For a wider price comparison, see AI chatbot prices compared.

What is Claude Marketplace?

Claude Marketplace is Anthropic's storefront at claude.com/marketplace. It first opened in March 2026 as a limited store for enterprise buyers, per SiliconANGLE. On September 23, 2026, Anthropic widened it to gather connectors, plugins, Claude-powered partner products and consulting partners in one place.

Teams can use part of their committed Anthropic spend to buy partner software, per the announcement. It cites more than 2,000 connectors and plugins, including Atlassian, Google, Microsoft, Notion and Salesforce, without saying how they are counted. In early October 2026, the marketplace pages listed more than 880 connectors and 340 plugins. Our Claude skills and plugins directory summarizes the main ones.

Other ways to put Claude inside your apps

Anthropic also puts Claude inside other software. Claude in Chrome, a browser extension, reached general availability on August 26, 2026, for every paid plan. It runs in Chrome only, not other Chromium browsers or mobile. The Microsoft 365 add-ins for Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Outlook use your skills and connectors when you sign in with your Claude account directly. Claude for Excel needs a paid plan.

Limits worth knowing

Plugins behave differently by app, so one can look complete in Cowork but partial in chat. Per the platform support page, you can add up to 25 marketplaces of your own in each organization you belong to. Each plugin can hold up to 5,000 files and 200 MB.

How to stay safe with skills, plugins and connectors

Treat every add-on like software you install. Skills and plugins can run code, and connectors can read and change data in your accounts. Anthropic reviews plugins in its directory, but not ones you add from a marketplace link or upload yourself. Only add items from makers you trust.

Related guides

Sources

Docs and help pages were accessed in October 2026. Blog posts show their publication date.

Frequently asked questions

Do Claude skills, plugins and connectors cost extra?

No. They come with your Claude plan at no extra charge. The service a connector reaches, such as HubSpot or Zapier, may need its own account or paid plan.

Can I use Claude skills on the free plan?

Anthropic's help center and pricing page list skills on Free, but the newer Skills docs page lists only Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. Either way, Code execution and file creation must be turned on. Plugins need a paid plan.

What is the difference between a Claude skill and a connector?

A connector gives Claude access to an outside app or data source, like your calendar. A skill teaches Claude how to do a task, like your weekly report format. A plugin can bundle both.

Are third-party Claude plugins and connectors safe?

Plugins in Anthropic's directory get automated validation, a security scan and a human review of new listings. Plugins you add from a marketplace link or upload yourself are not reviewed. The Verified connector label is not a security audit.

Do Claude skills work in other AI tools?

Often, yes. Claude skills follow the Agent Skills open standard, and agentskills.io lists adopters such as ChatGPT and Codex, Gemini CLI, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Hermes Agent and OpenClaw.