Claude — Which Connectors Sync Between claude.ai and Claude Code CLI

Clarifies which MCP connectors/servers are available in Claude Code CLI when you’ve set them up in Claude.ai.

Why / When to Use

Reference this when setting up automated workflows (e.g. scheduled email summaries, Slack notifications) in Claude Code CLI and wondering whether connectors configured in the Claude.ai web app will be available.

Core Concept / Commands

What syncs ✅

claude.ai connectors (Outlook, Gmail, Slack, Google Drive, etc.) set up via the claude.ai web interface are automatically available in Claude Code CLI when you’re logged in with the same account.

Practical implication: if you’ve connected Gmail/Outlook in claude.ai, a scheduled Claude Code task can send emails without any additional config.

What does NOT sync ⚠️

Desktop/local MCP servers added via the Claude Desktop app do not sync to the CLI.

Desktop App MCP → ❌ → Claude Code CLI
claude.ai connector → ✅ → Claude Code CLI (same account)

Org-level gotcha

Organisation-level connectors can be pushed down to Claude Code CLI automatically — but this increases token usage for CLI users unexpectedly. Disable with:

# In environment or settings
ENABLE_CLAUDEAI_MCP_SERVERS=false

Gotchas

• Must be logged into Claude Code with the same account as your claude.ai session
• Desktop MCP servers need to be re-configured separately in ~/.claude/mcp.json or project-level config if you want them in CLI

Source

Conversation: “Today’s schedule for Monday May 18” — 2026-05-18