Connect PortEden to Claude Cowork
Claude Cowork is Anthropic's agentic workspace for knowledge work — it can autonomously break tasks into subtasks, run code, and deliver finished outputs. Connect PortEden so Cowork can securely access your email, calendar, drive, and task management tools while you focus on the outcome.
Note
Prerequisites
- A PortEden account at my.porteden.com with at least one service connected
- A Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise subscription (Cowork requires a paid plan)
- Claude Desktop installed (Cowork runs within Claude Desktop on macOS and Windows)
How Cowork Accesses PortEden
Cowork supports MCP connectors through two paths:
Remote Connectors (Recommended)
Add PortEden via Customize > Connectors on claude.ai. These connectors automatically sync to Cowork.
No config files needed. Works immediately.
Desktop Config (SDK Bridge)
MCP servers in your claude_desktop_config.json are automatically bridged into Cowork's sandboxed VM.
Requires Node.js + mcp-remote. See Desktop guide.
Setup via Connectors (Recommended)
Open Connectors on claude.ai
Go to claude.ai > Customize > Connectors.
Add PortEden Endpoints
Click + > Add custom connector and paste a PortEden endpoint URL. Complete the OAuth sign-in. Repeat for each connection you need.
Open Cowork in Claude Desktop
Switch to the Cowork tab in Claude Desktop. Your PortEden connectors are already available — Cowork will use them automatically when a task requires email, calendar, drive, or task data.
Available endpoints
| Connection | Endpoint URL | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| https://mcp.porteden.com/email | Gmail and M365 email | |
| Calendar | https://mcp.porteden.com/calendar | Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar |
| Drive | https://mcp.porteden.com/drive | Google Drive files and folders |
| Google Docs | https://mcp.porteden.com/google-docs | Search, read, and edit Docs |
| Google Sheets | https://mcp.porteden.com/google-sheets | Read, write, and append to Sheets |
| Tasks | https://mcp.porteden.com/tasks | Monday, Linear, Asana, Jira, Notion |
Tips for Cowork
Add only what you need
Each MCP tool definition consumes context tokens even when not used. Since Cowork is already token-intensive (it plans, executes, and coordinates subtasks), keeping the tool list small helps Cowork stay accurate and efficient.
Great for multi-step workflows
Cowork excels when you describe an outcome rather than individual steps. For example: "Prepare a summary of this week's meetings, pull any action items from email, and update the project board." Cowork will use your PortEden connections across calendar, email, and tasks autonomously.
PortEden enforces your rules
Even in agentic mode, every request Cowork makes through PortEden passes through your access rules. Visibility controls, contact blocks, action limits, and time windows all apply. Blocked requests are logged.
Example Cowork Prompts
Troubleshooting
Cowork doesn't use the PortEden tools
Make sure the connectors appear in Customize > Connectors on claude.ai. Cowork uses the same connectors. If you added them via the Desktop config file, restart Claude Desktop so the SDK bridge picks them up.
"Permission denied"
Check your token permissions at my.porteden.com. Cowork may attempt write operations (sending emails, creating tasks) that require specific permissions.
High token usage
Each connected MCP tool adds to the context window. If Cowork is running into context limits, consider removing connections you don't need for the current task.