A few weeks ago, OpenAI introduced a new feature for ChatGPT called Connectors. It’s essentially a way for the chatbot to work with all sorts of third-party apps and data sources to pull in more information while answering user prompts.
The feature is exciting because it lets ChatGPT work with more third-party apps that store some of our personal data. Imagine asking ChatGPT to search your Gmail account for everything related to a family holiday you’re planning. That’s the kind of functionality Gemini offers, since Google owns Gmail.
Other chatbots will need similar access to deliver more personal experiences. That’s really the whole point of letting ChatGPT pull data from other services. OpenAI wants to give users a super-assistant ChatGPT experience where the AI knows everything about you. It’s the kind of thing I expect from the ChatGPT io hardware device that OpenAI might launch late next year.
To get there, we need Connectors in ChatGPT. The good news is that OpenAI is expanding access. The bad news is that it’ll cost more. The latest expansion doesn’t include ChatGPT Free or ChatGPT Plus users.
OpenAI said on X that Connectors for Google Drive, Dropbox, SharePoint, and Box are now available in ChatGPT outside of Deep Research. That’s useful if you want the AI to access cloud data you’ve stored with those services while responding to your prompts.
As OpenAI puts it, the feature is “perfect for bringing in your unique context for everyday work.”
The tweet also notes that the Connectors mentioned above are available to ChatGPT Pro users ($200/month) worldwide, excluding the EEA, Switzerland, and the UK. I’m a ChatGPT Plus user ($20/month) in Europe, so I wouldn’t be able to use these Connectors even if they were available here.
It’s likely that OpenAI will eventually roll out Connectors everywhere, including Europe. This wouldn’t be the first time a new ChatGPT feature launched in the EU later than elsewhere. The region has stricter tech regulations, whether it’s AI or anything else.
Even more ChatGPT Connectors
Also, the list of Connectors available outside of Deep Research is smaller than what ChatGPT supports within Deep Research.
Outlook, Teams, Google Drive, Gmail, and Linear are available to ChatGPT Plus and Pro users in Deep Research. Again, the same regional exclusions apply, with European users left out for now.
OpenAI also said a few weeks ago that SharePoint, Dropbox, and Box are available to ChatGPT Team, Enterprise, and Edu users in Deep Research.
On top of that, workspace admins can build their own Deep Research Connectors using the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This lets AI services communicate with other apps and data repositories.
The list of Connectors should grow significantly in the coming months and years, as more apps let users connect their AI assistants for personalized chatbot experiences. Other chatbots will likely support their own connectors too.
Companies like Google have a clear edge here. Google can plug its Gemini assistant into all of its apps, giving it a big advantage in building a powerful super-assistant.
The ChatGPT Connectors mentioned above should be available now in the app. Try refreshing the page or updating the app if you don’t see them.
OpenAI’s video below from early June explains how Connectors work in ChatGPT.
