| Directory connector | Custom connector | |
|---|---|---|
| Runtime | Same | Same |
| Anthropic review | Yes | No |
| In-product discovery | Browse, search, Suggested Connectors | None—user must paste URL |
| Anthropic-held client credentials | Available | Not available |
| Appears as | Named card with logo | ”Custom” |
Suggested Connectors
Directory connectors are eligible for Suggested Connectors—Claude can recommend your connector in-chat when it’s relevant to the user’s task. Custom connectors are never suggested. Every directory entry is automatically eligible; there is no separate opt-in.Use both: directory plus elevated custom
A supported pattern is to list a connector in the directory with safe, broadly-applicable defaults, and provide enterprise customers a separate URL to add as a custom connector with elevated permissions or tenant-specific configuration. Document both paths in your own product docs.Per-tenant URLs
If your server URL varies per tenant (for example,{tenant}.mcp.example.com), this is typically handled either as separate per-tenant directory entries or via the custom_connection authentication type, where users supply their tenant-specific URL at connection time. custom_connection is enabled per partner—email [email protected] to request it. The directory does not currently template a single entry across tenant subdomains.
What the directory is not
The Anthropic Directory is independent of the open MCP Registry and themodelcontextprotocol/servers GitHub repository. Publishing to those does not surface your server in Claude. Submit through the directory submission form to appear in Claude products.