THE CONNECTOR SETUP

Connect Claude to Gmail, Google Calendar, and Drive in 7 minutes. No code. The single setup that turns Claude from "a chatbot" into "something that actually does things." Step-by-step.

THE PROBLEM

Most people use Claude as a chatbot. Type a question, get an answer. Useful but limited.

The actual unlock is connectors. Once Claude can read your Gmail, see your Calendar, and access your Drive, it stops being a chatbot and starts being an assistant. The skills you've installed (Inbox Drainer, Calendar Compass, Sunday Setup) only work at full power with connectors enabled.

THE SKILL

This isn't a SKILL.md — it's a setup guide that teaches you to enable the 3 connectors that unlock most of the value.

You'll do:

Gmail (3 min) — Claude reads emails for triage skills
Google Calendar (2 min) — Claude reads events for planning skills
Google Drive (2 min) — Claude reads docs for context

Total: 7 minutes. Permanent unlock.

STEP-BY-STEP

Step 1: Open Claude.ai → Settings

Click your avatar (top right) → Settings → Connectors.

Step 2: Connect Gmail

Find Google Gmail in the connector list
Click Connect
Sign in with your Google account
Approve the requested permissions (Claude needs read access to do triage)
Done — Gmail icon now shows ✅

Step 3: Connect Google Calendar

Same flow:

Find Google Calendar
Click Connect
Sign in (already auth'd from Gmail step — just confirm)
Approve permissions
Done

Step 4: Connect Google Drive

Same flow. Optional: limit to a specific folder if you want Claude to only see "AI workspace" docs vs. your entire Drive.

Step 5: Test it

Open a fresh chat. Type: "What's on my calendar this Wednesday?"

If Claude returns your actual events: connectors are working.

3 THINGS YOU CAN'T SKIP

1. Use a dedicated folder for Drive. Don't give Claude access to your entire Drive. Create a folder called "Claude" and put everything Claude needs in there.

2. Review permissions every 90 days. Settings → Connectors → check what's connected. Disconnect anything you don't actively use.

3. Don't connect work accounts without IT approval. If you have a corporate Google Workspace, ask IT before connecting. Personal accounts only otherwise.

WHAT THIS UNLOCKS (skills that need connectors)

Day 6 — The Inbox Drainer (needs Gmail)
Day 31 — The Calendar Compass (needs Calendar)
Day 4 — The Sunday-Night Setup (works better with Calendar + Drive)
Day 8 — The Voice-to-Done (writes to Calendar directly)
Day 49 — The Personal CRM (reads from Gmail to update last-contact dates)

SAFETY CHECK

Connectors give Claude access to your data. The data stays under your account — Claude reads it during your conversations and doesn't store it permanently outside the chat. If you ever want to revoke: Settings → Connectors → Disconnect.

If you connect a work account: confirm with your IT/security team first. Some employers prohibit AI connectors on corporate accounts.

WHAT'S NEXT

Day 27 of 100. Phase 4 starts. Pair with Day 6 — Inbox Drainer, Day 31 — Calendar Compass, Day 4 — Sunday Setup — all of them get more powerful with connectors enabled.