ChatGPT Connector: Your guide to getting it set up in 2025

ChatGPT can now connect to your work apps like Google Drive, Slack, and HubSpot, which is pretty handy. The idea is to bring your company’s knowledge right into your chat. A ChatGPT connector is basically a bridge that lets the AI search and summarize data from these tools without you having to jump between tabs.

How a ChatGPT connector works with work apps.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to enable, sync, and use these connectors for your key business apps. We’ll also cover some common troubleshooting tips and the limitations you should know about before you start relying on them for important work.

What you’ll need before you start with the ChatGPT connector

Before you can start pulling data from your apps, you’ll need to have a few things ready:

• A paid ChatGPT plan: Most connectors are only available on the ChatGPT Team, Enterprise, and Edu plans. If you’re on a Free, Plus, or Pro plan, you’ll find the features are limited or just not there, which can be a roadblock for smaller teams.

• Admin permissions: In a business setting, a workspace owner usually has to enable the connector for the whole company before anyone can use it.

• Active app accounts: You’ll need to be logged into the accounts you want to connect, whether that’s Google Workspace, Slack, or HubSpot.

How to enable and sync your first ChatGPT connector

Getting a connector running is pretty similar no matter which app you’re using, but how they sync and pull data can be a little different. Here’s a step-by-step look at the general process, with some specifics for Google Drive, Slack, and HubSpot.

Step 1: Find and connect the application for your ChatGPT connector

First things first, you need to give ChatGPT permission to access your app.

1. Head to your ChatGPT Settings and find the Connectors section.

2. Look for the app you want to add (like Google Drive) and click Connect.

3. You’ll be sent over to that app’s website to sign in and grant permissions. It’s always a good idea to read what you’re giving access to before you click confirm.

 ChatGPT connector settings in your account.

Step 2: Understand and manage the ChatGPT connector sync

ChatGPT has a couple of ways of getting to your data. Some connectors do a "chat search" on the spot, while "Synced connectors" like the one for Google Drive index your data ahead of time so it’s faster.

• Google Drive Synced Connector: Once you connect Google Drive, ChatGPT starts a one-time sync of all your files. This can take a few minutes or a few days, depending on how much stuff you have. It’s important to know its limits: it only works with Google Workspace Drives (not personal ones), it can’t do much with Google Sheets and Excel files, and it can’t analyze images or visuals inside your documents.

• Slack and HubSpot Connectors: These are mostly "deep research" connectors. Instead of syncing everything in advance, they check your apps for information in real time when you ask a question. This keeps the info fresh, but it can be a bit slower than a synced connector. HubSpot was actually the first CRM to launch one of these with ChatGPT.

Comparing the Synced vs. Deep Research ChatGPT connector.

Step 3: Use the ChatGPT connector in your prompts

Once you’re connected, you can start using it in a new chat.

1. In the message box, click Tools and choose Use connectors or Run deep research.

2. Pick the source (or sources) you want to ask a question of.

3. Type in your prompt. For example:

• Google Drive: "Summarize the key takeaways from the ‘Q4 Project Alpha Debrief’ document in my marketing folder."

• Slack: "What were the main action items from the #project-phoenix channel last week?"

• HubSpot: "Generate a list of my top 10 enterprise leads in the software industry based on recent activity."

How to use the ChatGPT connector in a prompt.

Common ChatGPT connector problems and how to fix them

Since connectors are still pretty new, you might run into a few snags. Here are some common issues and how to sort them out.

Problem: You see an "Admin approval required" message.

• What’s happening: Your company’s security rules for third-party apps are blocking the connection.

• The fix: You’ll need to chat with your IT admin for Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or Slack and ask them to approve OpenAI/ChatGPT as a trusted app.

Problem: Content isn’t found or the results seem old.

• What’s happening: For synced connectors like Google Drive, the first sync might not be done yet, or the regular data refresh hasn’t happened.

• The fix: Check the sync status in your settings. This delay can be a real pain for teams that need up-to-the-minute information for things like customer support.

Problem: The AI gives vague or wrong answers.

• What’s happening: The connector has its limits. It can’t read text from images in a PDF or make sense of complex financial data in an Excel file. It’s mostly just grabbing basic text. If you need an AI that can understand complex workflows and conversation histories, you might need a more specialized tool like eesel AI.

The limitations of the ChatGPT connector for business

While the connectors are useful, it’s worth knowing their limits before you build your team’s entire workflow around them.

Limited integrations and workflow actions

The list of official ChatGPT connectors is still quite small, focusing on popular file storage and chat apps. But what about the tools where your most important work gets done, like your help desk?

Even more, these connectors are built to find information, not to do things with it. They can’t triage a support ticket, escalate an urgent problem, or automatically tag conversations. In contrast, tools built specifically for automation, like eesel AI, offer over 100 integrations and are designed to take action (triage, tag, route) right inside your existing software.

An automated AI workflow vs. a read-only ChatGPT connector.

Surface-level knowledge vs. deep understanding

A ChatGPT connector can read a document, but it can’t learn from the thousands of past customer conversations sitting in your help desk. That history is a goldmine for training an AI to handle support requests correctly and in your company’s voice.

The AI Agent from eesel AI is designed to train on exactly this kind of data, learning how you solve problems, your business rules, and your customer service style.

Knowledge sources for a ChatGPT connector vs. a specialized AI.

Security and control for your business

ChatGPT is a cloud-only platform, which means your sensitive business data gets processed on OpenAI’s servers. This can be a deal-breaker for companies with strict rules about where their data lives, especially outside the US. OpenAI even states that synced connectors aren’t supported for customers who need their data stored outside the US.

eesel AI handles this with serious security features, including an EU data residency option and a promise to never use your data to train general models.

Feature	ChatGPT Connector	eesel AI
Primary Function	Pulls and summarizes data	Automates processes from start to finish
Integrations	~15-20 key apps	100+ business tools
Key Data Sources	Docs, files, calendar, some CRM data	Past tickets, help desk macros, knowledge bases, docs & more
Workflow Actions	No (read-only)	Yes (triage, tag, route, close, API calls)
Deployment	OpenAI Cloud only	Secure cloud with EU data residency option
Setup	User/Admin enables in ChatGPT	Layers onto your existing tools, with a simulation mode

The ChatGPT connector is a good start, but not the whole story

The ChatGPT connector is a neat feature for quickly looking up info and summarizing content from apps like Google Drive. It definitely makes it easier to pull outside context into your AI chats.

But for true business automation, especially in customer service or IT, you need more than just a data fetcher. To really make your workflows smoother, you need a solution that can learn from your team’s specific data, take smart actions inside your tools, and meet tough security standards.

Go beyond the ChatGPT connector with eesel AI

While the ChatGPT connector pulls from files, eesel AI plugs into your entire workflow. You can automate frontline support, give your agents instant, accurate answers, and unlock the real power of your company’s collective knowledge. Book a demo today or start a free trial to see how it works.