How to Set Up the Connect-Apps Plugin for Claude: Complete MCP Integration Guide

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 and the quick-start section of 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 (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 (lines 15-27) and echoed in 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 at line 15, this loads the skill directory located at connect-apps/ within the repository.

/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, where the system prompts for your API key and configures the MCP gateway connections.

/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.

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 (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:

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 (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 (lines 12-68) and 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, 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.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}