# How do I connect multiple Gmail accounts to Claude? > Third-party guides report that Claude's built-in Google connector holds one identity at a time. Add one custom MCP connector for several inboxes in Claude. Updated: 2026-10-03 ยท Canonical: https://staging.nickbox.io/en/resources/connect-multiple-gmail-accounts-to-claude Add one custom MCP connector that fronts several inboxes. Claude's help page says Claude's Gmail connector reads the Google account you connected, and third-party guides report that it holds a single identity as of October 2026, so signing in with a second account replaces the first. Check Anthropic's help page for the current behavior. A connector such as Nickbox keeps up to 5 Gmail inboxes behind one URL, and you tell Claude which nickname to search. ## Why do guides say Claude's built-in connector holds one Gmail account? Guides from [ClaudeTraining](https://www.claudetraining.com/claude-multiple-gmail-accounts) and [Carly](https://www.usecarly.com/blog/can-claude-connect-to-multiple-gmail-accounts/) report that the native Google connector is tied to one Google identity and that a second login replaces the first. Users have filed an [open request](https://claudeissues.com/issue/33627-feature-allow-connecting-multiple-gmail-accounts-simultaneously-via-managed-mcp) for several accounts at once. Anthropic's help page is the authority here, and it can change. The result is the swap routine people describe: disconnect personal, connect work, ask again, copy the answers together. A custom connector removes it. ## How do I add a custom connector in Claude on the web or desktop? On Pro and Max, open Customize, then Connectors, choose "+ Add", then "Add custom connector", and enter a name and the MCP URL. On Team and Enterprise, an Owner adds it first under Organization settings, then Connectors, and each member connects it from their own Customize menu. Menu names have moved before, so follow [Anthropic's current article](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166-get-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp) if yours differs. With Nickbox the sequence is: 1. Sign in to Nickbox with Google and connect each inbox (up to 5). Give each a nickname such as `work`, `personal`, `billing`. 2. Copy your MCP URL from the dashboard. 3. In Claude, add a custom connector, name it "Nickbox" and paste the URL. 4. Click Connect and approve the OAuth sign-in in the browser tab that opens. 5. Start a chat and ask: "Which accounts do you see?" Claude calls `list_accounts` and answers with your nicknames. The full walkthrough is in the [Claude guide](/en/docs/claude). If the connect step fails, the usual causes are a blocked pop-up, a closed browser tab before the approval finished, or a Workspace admin policy on a work inbox. Retry from the connector's settings, and for the Workspace case see [how to allow an MCP app in Google Workspace](/en/resources/allow-mcp-app-in-google-workspace). ## Can I do this in Claude Code? Yes, with one command. Claude Code takes remote MCP servers over HTTP, then opens a browser for the OAuth sign-in. 1. Run `claude mcp add --transport http nickbox `. 2. Start Claude Code and type `/mcp`. 3. Select the server and sign in when the browser opens. 4. Ask a question that names an inbox: "Search `billing` for invoices from this month." Details and troubleshooting are in the [Claude Code guide](/en/docs/claude-code). ## Which Claude plans support this? Custom connectors through remote MCP are available on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. Free is limited to one custom connector, which is enough here because a single Nickbox connector covers all your inboxes. Plan limits change, so confirm in the [Claude Help Center](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166-get-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp). One technical requirement: the server must be reachable from the public internet, because Claude's connections come from Anthropic's infrastructure. That rules out a server running on your laptop for Claude web and desktop. A hosted server like Nickbox satisfies it by design. ## How do I ask Claude about one inbox or all of them? Name the inbox in the prompt, or say "all". Claude picks the tool that matches. Nickbox has `search_emails` for one inbox, `search_all_accounts` for every inbox, `read_email` to open a message and `list_labels` to see a inbox's labels. - One inbox: "Search `work` for the contract from Dana." - Two inboxes: "Look in `work` and `billing` for anything about the March invoice." - Everything: "Search all my accounts for flight confirmations in November." The assistant can only read. It cannot reply, draft or delete, because Nickbox holds the `gmail.readonly` permission and nothing broader. If you want Claude to send mail, a connector with write access fits better, such as Composio's, and you accept the wider permission that comes with it. ## What does it cost, and is it live for everyone? Nickbox costs US$5 a month or US$48 a year, with a 7-day trial that needs a card. It is in a limited beta. Nickbox has not finished Google's verification yet, so Google lets it connect only 100 Gmail accounts and places are limited. See [pricing](/en/pricing). Nickbox does not write message contents to its database or logs, and it stores connection metadata and an encrypted refresh token per inbox; the specifics are on the [security page](/en/security). ## FAQ **Why does Claude lose my first Gmail account when I add a second?** Third-party guides report that the native Google connector keeps one identity, so a second login replaces the first. A custom MCP connector that fronts several inboxes avoids the swap. **What can Claude's Gmail connector do?** According to Claude's help page, checked on 2026-10-03, it searches and reads mail, drafts, and sends, replies and forwards with your approval by default, for the one Google account you connected. See the connector comparison for when that is enough. **Which Claude plans allow custom connectors?** Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise all support custom connectors through remote MCP. Free is limited to one, and Nickbox needs only one. **Does the MCP server need to be reachable from the internet?** Yes. Claude connects from Anthropic's infrastructure, so a server on your laptop or private network will not work for Claude web and desktop. A hosted URL does. **How do I add it in Claude Code?** Run claude mcp add --transport http nickbox with your MCP URL, then type /mcp and sign in through the browser. ## Sources - [Get started with custom connectors using remote MCP (Claude Help Center)](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11175166-get-started-with-custom-connectors-using-remote-mcp) - [Claude multiple Gmail accounts (ClaudeTraining)](https://www.claudetraining.com/claude-multiple-gmail-accounts) - [Can Claude connect to multiple Gmail accounts? (Carly)](https://www.usecarly.com/blog/can-claude-connect-to-multiple-gmail-accounts/) - [Feature request: connect multiple Gmail accounts via managed MCP](https://claudeissues.com/issue/33627-feature-allow-connecting-multiple-gmail-accounts-simultaneously-via-managed-mcp)