Module 1 · Claude Cowork Fundamentals
Connecting to your tools
Email, calendar, cloud files, Chrome, and Microsoft 365
So far, Claude has worked mainly in your working folder. But part of your work lives elsewhere: inboxes, calendars, cloud storage, browser apps, and Office documents. Connections and surfaces give Claude controlled access to those places too — with capabilities that vary by tool.
What a connector is
If the working folder is its desk, a connector is a key you give it to one specific drawer: the inbox, the calendar, a Drive folder, a CRM. You enable it, you can revoke it, and the connector's description tells you what it can actually do.
Cloud files are not all read/write. Some connectors are read/search only. Some can create, edit, or take actions. Check each connector's capability and consent screen when you enable it. The most reliable place to build and iterate on files is still the local working folder.