# How to Set Up the Connect-Apps Plugin for Claude: Complete MCP Integration Guide > Easily set up the Connect-Apps plugin for Claude. Integrate 1000+ apps by installing composio-toolrouter and authenticating your API key for seamless MCP gateway access. - Repository: [Composio/awesome-claude-skills](https://github.com/composiohq/awesome-claude-skills) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-08-30 --- **Setting up the Connect-Apps plugin involves installing the `composio-toolrouter` skill, running a one-time setup command to authenticate with your Composio API key, and restarting Claude to activate the MCP gateway that bridges 1,000+ third-party integrations.** The **Connect-Apps** plugin enables Claude to execute real-world actions across Gmail, Slack, GitHub, Notion, and other services through Composio's Model Context Protocol (MCP) gateway. This guide walks you through the exact setup process documented in the `ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills` repository, referencing the canonical configuration steps found in [`connect-apps/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/blob/main/connect-apps/SKILL.md) and the quick-start section of [`README.md`](https://github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/blob/main/README.md). ## What Is the Connect-Apps Plugin? The **Connect-Apps** plugin is a Claude skill that bridges Claude with Composio's MCP gateway. According to the source code in [`connect-apps/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/blob/main/connect-apps/SKILL.md) (lines 12-22), Composio exposes a single MCP endpoint that aggregates over 1,000 third-party integrations while handling authentication, rate-limiting, and audit logging. When you issue a command like "send an email" or "create a GitHub issue," the **Composio Tool Router** looks up the appropriate integration, performs a one-time OAuth flow if needed, calls the external service, and returns the result to Claude. ## Prerequisites Before you begin, ensure you have: - **Claude Desktop** or CLI installed and running - A free **Composio account** to generate an API key from `https://platform.composio.dev` ## Installing the Connect-Apps Plugin Follow these three steps exactly as specified in [`connect-apps/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/blob/main/connect-apps/SKILL.md) (lines 15-27) and echoed in [`README.md`](https://github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/blob/main/README.md) (lines 50-58). ### Step 1: Install the Plugin Register the `composio-toolrouter` skill with Claude using the plugin install command. As documented in [`connect-apps/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/blob/main/connect-apps/SKILL.md) at line 15, this loads the skill directory located at `connect-apps/` within the repository. ```bash /plugin install composio-toolrouter ``` ### Step 2: Configure the MCP Gateway Run the setup command to authenticate with Composio's servers. This step corresponds to lines 21-27 in [`connect-apps/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/blob/main/connect-apps/SKILL.md), where the system prompts for your API key and configures the MCP gateway connections. ```bash /composio-toolrouter:setup ``` When prompted, paste your API key from `https://platform.composio.dev`. The plugin stores this credential locally and prepares the MCP connections for immediate use. ### Step 3: Restart Claude Load the newly configured skill by restarting your Claude session. This final step ensures the MCP gateway initialization completes and the tool router becomes available. ```bash exit claude ``` Alternatively, fully quit and relaunch Claude Desktop to reload all configured plugins. ## How the Integration Works Once configured, the Connect-Apps plugin operates through the **Composio Tool Router** mechanism described in [`connect-apps/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/blob/main/connect-apps/SKILL.md) (lines 59-63). When Claude receives a request: 1. The Tool Router resolves the correct integration (e.g., Gmail for email actions) 2. For first-time use, the system performs the OAuth flow automatically 3. The gateway executes the action through the third-party API 4. Results return to Claude for natural language response generation You can test the integration immediately with natural language commands: ```text Send me a test email at myaddress@example.com ``` Claude will invoke the Gmail integration through the MCP gateway and actually send the email. ## Troubleshooting Common Issues According to the error handling documentation in [`connect-apps/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/blob/main/connect-apps/SKILL.md) (lines 66-68), most issues fall into three categories: - **Missing plugin**: Ensure you see `composio-toolrouter` in the loaded skills list after restarting Claude - **Missing authorization**: Re-run `/composio-toolrouter:setup` if you receive authentication errors - **Permission issues**: Verify your Composio account has enabled the specific integration (e.g., GitHub, Slack) in the platform dashboard ## Summary - **The Connect-Apps plugin** bridges Claude with Composio's MCP gateway to enable 1,000+ third-party integrations - **Installation** requires three steps: install the plugin with `/plugin install composio-toolrouter`, configure with `/composio-toolrouter:setup`, and restart Claude - **Configuration is stored** locally after you provide your Composio API key from `platform.composio.dev` - **Source documentation** lives in [`connect-apps/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/blob/main/connect-apps/SKILL.md) (lines 12-68) and [`README.md`](https://github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/blob/main/README.md) (lines 50-58) within the `ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills` repository - **First-time OAuth** happens automatically when you request a new integration, managed entirely by the Composio Tool Router ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Do I need a paid Composio account to use the Connect-Apps plugin? No. The plugin works with Composio's free tier, which provides sufficient API calls for personal use and testing. You can generate your API key immediately at `https://platform.composio.dev` without entering payment information. ### Where is the Connect-Apps plugin configuration stored? The plugin stores your Composio API key and MCP gateway configuration locally on your machine after you run the `/composio-toolrouter:setup` command. As noted in [`connect-apps/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills/blob/main/connect-apps/SKILL.md), this eliminates the need to re-authenticate for subsequent Claude sessions unless you explicitly revoke the credentials. ### Which third-party integrations are available through the Connect-Apps plugin? The plugin provides access to over 1,000 integrations including Gmail, Slack, GitHub, Notion, Linear, Jira, and Google Calendar. Composio maintains and updates the full registry at their MCP gateway endpoint, so new services become available automatically without updating the plugin itself. ### How do I update or uninstall the Connect-Apps plugin? To update the plugin, re-run `/plugin install composio-toolrouter` to fetch the latest version from the `ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills` repository. To uninstall, remove the `composio-toolrouter` entry from your Claude configuration, or delete the `connect-apps/` skill directory if you installed it manually.