Use Claude Connectors + Zapier MCP to Automate Email (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: In this video, you'll learn how to use Claude connectors step by step. With connectors, you can connect Claude to services like Gmail, Google Calendar, Notion, and more. For example, you can ask Claude if there are any high-priority emails in your Gmail inbox. You can then ask Claude to draft a response, and you can do all of this directly from the Claude chat interface. We'll start by connecting Claude to Gmail. Then, I'll show you how to connect Claude to thousands of additional apps. Let's dive in. To get started, open Claude, and over on the left-hand side, let's click on Customize. Within the Customize pane, click on Connectors, and at the top of the Connectors pane, let's click on this plus icon to add a new connector, and right here, let's browse connectors. Here, you'll see all the different services that Claude can connect to. In fact, there are over 200 different services available. If we go to the top of the list here, you'll see some of the more popular options. Here, we have Canva, Microsoft 365, Figma, Notion, Gmail, Google Drive, and the list goes on and on. Now, let's connect Gmail. Right over here, I'll click on this plus icon. On this screen, let's click on Continue. When you connect Gmail, you'll need to grant Claude permission to access your account. If you're comfortable with all these different permissions, here at the top, click on Select All, and then down at the bottom, click on Continue again. Now that we've added the connection, you'll see Gmail right up here as one of our new connectors. Now, by default, Claude has access to read-only tools, so this is things like searching your inbox or summarizing email threads. For any of the actions that modify your account, as an example, creating, let's say, an email draft, you'll have to give your approval before taking action. Of course, you can always come in here and change these settings later on. For now, I'm going to leave them as is. If you look through this list here, it'll give you an idea of the types of things that Claude can do with your Gmail. Let's now go back to the main chat window to test this out. Over on the left-hand side, let's click on New Chat. Back here in the chat, I'll enter in my prompt, review my inbox, and tell me if there are any high-priority emails that require my attention. Then, let's run that. Right here, it says that one email actually stands out, and this one's pretty funny. Now, I run a small business called the Kevin Cookie Company, and it looks like delivery pigeons ate the shipment instead of delivering it. Now, I don't know why Claude thinks that's funny. That's probably a very upset customer. Now, notice that Claude doesn't simply list every single unread email. Instead, it's identifying the most important message. Here, it's also explaining why it's important, and it's separating it from all of the lower-priority emails that I could review later. Now, let's take this a step further and see if Claude can actually take action. Down below, I'll ask if they could draft a response to Patty, and then right over here, let's send that. Right here, Claude reviews the email thread. It also drafted a response, and then it saved it in my Gmail account. Let's now switch over to Gmail to verify that it worked. Here in Gmail, I can see the original message from Patty, and down below, I can see the draft that Claude created for me. Now, if needed, I can make any changes that I'd like to this draft, and once everything looks good, down below, I can send it. The Gmail connector works well, but what if the app you want to use doesn't have a built-in connector, or maybe you want Claude to do more than simply create a draft? For example, what if you want Claude to send the email? That's where Zapier MCP comes in, the sponsor of today's video. It allows Claude to connect to thousands of additional apps and take actions across those apps. The nice thing is that Zapier MCP is available even on Zapier's free plan. Let's see how it works. Head to the following website, and then create a free Zapier account. Once you're signed in, right here, let's click on MCP. First, we need to connect Claude to Zapier. Right over here, I'll click on Claude. Here, let's copy this prompt, and then let's open Claude. Let's now paste in the prompt that we copied, and right over here, let's run it. Here, let's click on Connect. Next, let's copy this prompt, and then click on Continue. Here, let's click on Allow, and right up above, I can see that we're now connected. Down below, let's now type in that prompt, and then run it. Now that Zapier is connected to Claude, let's go back to Zapier so we can add the apps that we want Claude to access. Back here in Zapier, over on the left-hand side, you'll see that we now have a Claude MCP server. Let's click on that. Over on the right-hand side, let's click on Add Apps. Here, you can connect to over 9,000 different apps, far more than what's available through Claude's built-in connectors. Now, I want to connect to Gmail, so right up above, I'll click on this. One thing you'll notice is that Zapier gives Claude access to many more actions. Along with creating a draft email, right down here, I could also send an email. Now, one thing I like is that I can choose exactly which actions Claude has access to. For example, I could allow Claude to read my email, but prevent it from sending messages if that's what I'd like to do. Now, right up on top, I'll click on Select All Tools, and then down in the bottom right-hand corner, let's connect. Here again, I'll click on Connect. Down at the bottom, let's add the tools. Now, let's switch back to Claude. Let's try that same workflow again, but this time using Zapier. Let's see if it can review my inbox, and over here, let's run that. Just like before, Claude reviews my inbox, and here it finds that message that needs my attention, but this time, let's take action. Down below, I'll ask it to send a response to Patty, letting her know that we'll discuss the delivery issue in tomorrow's meeting, and then let's run that. Right up there, I can see that it now sent the message. Unlike the native Gmail connector, which created a draft for me to review, Zapier can actually send the email. Let's now switch over to Gmail to confirm. Here, I can see that Claude successfully sent the message. Let's now go back to Zapier. Up on top, let's now click into History, and here, I can see a record of all the different actions that Claude has taken using my connected app. Right up on top, let's switch back into Apps. Now, if I want to make Claude even more powerful, right over here, let's click on Add Apps, and here, I can connect additional services. That's how you can use Claude connectors. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next video.