# Connect ChatGPT

> Connect ChatGPT to The Cloud with a custom connector. Turn on Developer Mode, add the MCP server, choose OAuth, and enable The Cloud in the chat you want it in.

## Connect ChatGPT

ChatGPT reaches The Cloud through a custom connector. Custom connectors sit behind Developer Mode and a paid plan, so there are two settings to change before you can add the address. Once it is added you enable The Cloud per chat from the composer.

## Before you start

- A Cloud account. Create one at [thecloud.so](https://www.thecloud.so). The connection signs in as you, so the account has to exist first.
- **A paid ChatGPT plan.** Custom connectors need Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, or Edu. They are not available on the free tier.
- **On Business or Enterprise, an admin goes first.** An admin has to enable Developer Mode under **Workspace Settings > Permissions & Roles** before it appears in your own settings.

## The one address

There is a single MCP server address. It speaks HTTP JSON-RPC 2.0. You will paste it once:

```text
https://mcp.thecloud.so/mcp
```

## Steps

1. **Turn on Developer Mode**: Go to **Settings > Apps & Connectors > Advanced settings** and toggle **Developer Mode** on.

2. **Add the connector**: Go to **Settings > Apps & Connectors > Add new connector**. Name it "The Cloud" and paste this as the **MCP Server URL**.

```text
https://mcp.thecloud.so/mcp
```

3. **Choose OAuth and create it**: Select **OAuth** as the authentication method, check "I trust this application", and click **Create**. You sign in to The Cloud the first time you actually use the connector.

4. **Enable The Cloud in a chat**: A connector is off by default in a new conversation. Turn The Cloud on from the composer for the chat you want it in, otherwise ChatGPT will not call any tool.

## Verify it worked

Start a new chat and send one word: `sync`. The Cloud answers with its Charter, your memory, and a line confirming the sync. If you get that back, the connection is live and every other tool is available to that chat.

## Troubleshooting

- **There is no Developer Mode toggle.** You are on the free tier, or you are in a Business or Enterprise workspace where an admin has not enabled it yet. Both are ChatGPT-side settings that The Cloud cannot change for you.
- **ChatGPT will not take an API key.** The connector form has no place to put an Authorization header, so OAuth is the only path we document for ChatGPT. The Cloud endpoint does accept a static Bearer key from any client that can send a header, which is how CI and Windsurf connect. See [Connect into The Cloud](/docs/connect-into-the-cloud).
- **The connector was added but nothing happens.** Confirm The Cloud is enabled in that specific chat, then send `sync` again. Per-chat enablement is the usual cause.
- **The tool list looks stale.** Reconnect the server, or restart ChatGPT, so it re-reads tools/list. The Cloud adds tools often and a client caches the list from its last handshake.

## Next

- [Connect into The Cloud](/docs/connect-into-the-cloud) for auth, every other client, and the full tool surface.
- [Tool reference](/docs/tool-reference) for every tool and its safety class.
- [Safety and consent](/docs/safety-and-consent) for what your AI can do without asking, and what it cannot.
- [Build on The Cloud](/docs/build-on-the-cloud) to ship a hosted Studio app from the client you just connected.