By now you know how to upload files to ChatGPT and work with them inside a conversation. But what if you didn't have to upload anything at all? What if ChatGPT could reach directly into your Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive and pull the files it needs?
That's exactly what Connectors do. Launched in 2025 and expanded significantly in 2026, Connectors let you link external services to ChatGPT so it can access your documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more — without you ever leaving the chat window.
Today you'll learn how to set up Connectors, which services are supported, and how to combine them with ChatGPT Apps — interactive partner integrations that bring tools like Figma, Canva, and Spotify right into your conversations.
Connectors are direct integrations between ChatGPT and the cloud services where your files already live. Instead of downloading a file from Google Drive and re-uploading it to ChatGPT, you simply tell ChatGPT to pull it in.
Here's what's currently supported:
Google Drive — Access Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and any files stored in your Drive. ChatGPT can read, summarize, and analyze them.
Dropbox — Connect your Dropbox account and reference files by name or folder. Particularly useful for teams that share project folders.
Microsoft OneDrive — Pull in Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and other files from your personal or work OneDrive.
Microsoft SharePoint — For business and enterprise users, connect to SharePoint sites and access shared team documents, wikis, and libraries.
Box — Enterprise-grade cloud storage. Connect your Box account and ChatGPT can search across your folders and retrieve documents.
Once connected, you can simply say "Look at the Q1 budget spreadsheet in my Google Drive" and ChatGPT will find it, read it, and work with it — all without a manual upload.
Setting up a Connector takes about 60 seconds. Here's the process:
Step 1: Open ChatGPT Settings (click your profile icon, then Settings).
Step 2: Navigate to Connected Apps (or Connectors on some interfaces).
Step 3: Choose the service you want to connect — for example, Google Drive.
Step 4: You'll be redirected to that service's sign-in page. Log in and grant ChatGPT permission to access your files. You can usually choose between full access or specific folders.
Step 5: Once connected, you'll see a confirmation in your settings. The Connector is now active.
Using Connectors in conversations is natural. You can say things like:
- "Find my project proposal in Google Drive and summarize it"
- "Compare the two budget spreadsheets in my Dropbox"
- "Pull the latest sales report from SharePoint and create a chart"
ChatGPT will search your connected storage, find the relevant files, and work with them just as if you'd uploaded them manually.
Important: Connectors respect the permissions of your cloud storage account. ChatGPT can only access files that you have access to — it doesn't bypass any sharing settings or security controls.
Beyond Connectors for file access, OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT Apps — interactive integrations built by third-party partners that bring their tools directly into the ChatGPT interface.
Think of Apps as mini versions of popular tools that live inside ChatGPT. Instead of switching between ChatGPT and Canva, or ChatGPT and Figma, you can use them in one place.
Here are some of the notable Apps available:
Figma — View and discuss your Figma designs inside ChatGPT. Ask for feedback on layouts, generate design suggestions, or describe a UI component and get a Figma-ready mockup.
Canva — Create presentations, social media graphics, and marketing materials. Describe what you want and Canva generates it within the chat, ready for you to refine and export.
Spotify — Get music recommendations, create playlists based on mood descriptions, and explore artists — all through conversation.
Zapier — Connect ChatGPT to thousands of apps through Zapier automations. Trigger workflows, send emails, update CRMs, and more from inside a chat.
Shopify — For store owners, manage products, check inventory, and draft product descriptions without leaving ChatGPT.
Apps are available on Pro and Business plans. Some Apps offer limited functionality on the Plus plan. They're accessed through the Apps panel in the ChatGPT sidebar, and once activated, they appear as interactive elements within your conversation.
The real power emerges when you combine Connectors and Apps in a single workflow. Here are some practical examples:
Research-to-presentation pipeline: Pull a report from your Google Drive using a Connector, ask ChatGPT to extract the key findings, then use the Canva App to build a slide deck from those findings — all in one conversation.
Data-to-design flow: Connect to your OneDrive, have ChatGPT analyze a sales spreadsheet, then use Figma to create an infographic based on the data.
Automated follow-ups: Use the Zapier App to set up a workflow where ChatGPT drafts a follow-up email based on meeting notes from your SharePoint, then sends it through your email client.
The key principle is this: Connectors bring your data in, Apps let you act on it, and ChatGPT ties everything together with conversation.