iClaude
Tutorial · 5 of 8

Install skills in ChatGPT

ChatGPT's MCP support is newer than Claude's and Cursor's — it's the most restricted of the four major hosts. Here's what works today and exactly how to wire it up.

6 min read

What works with ChatGPT today

ChatGPT only supports remote MCP servers (skills that run on a server somewhere with a URL), not local ones (skills that run on your laptop). That rules out a chunk of the catalog.

On iclaude.io, filter the skill list by:

  • Stack → ChatGPT — only shows skills that have been tested as remote servers.

Skills that work well in ChatGPT today include: web search, Notion, Linear, GitHub, Stripe, Supabase, internal company knowledge bases, and most documentation-style connectors.

Install flow

01

Find a ChatGPT-compatible skill

Open iclaude.io/skills?stack=chatgpt. Pick a skill that's useful to you. On the detail page, you'll see a ChatGPT tab in the install box with two pieces of info you need:

  • Server URL — looks like https://mcp.iclaude.io/skill-slug
  • Auth method — usually OAuth or API key
02

Generate a connector key

For skills that need an API key (most do), iClaude can mint a scoped one for you. In your terminal:

terminal
$ npx iclaude key --skill web-search

You'll get a key that starts with icld_. Keep it handy — you'll paste it into ChatGPT in a moment.

03

Open ChatGPT Settings → Connectors

In ChatGPT, click your profile icon in the bottom-left, then Settings. In the sidebar, click Connectors.

(If Connectors isn't in your sidebar, your account doesn't have MCP access yet. See the warning at the top of this page.)

04

Add a custom MCP server

Click Add (top right of the Connectors panel), then Custom MCP server.

Fill in the form with the values from step 1:

  • Name: anything you'll recognise — e.g. iClaude · Web Search
  • Server URL: the URL from the iClaude skill page
  • Auth: paste the icld_ key from step 2

Click Connect. ChatGPT pings the server. If everything is right, you see a green check.

05

Enable it in a chat

Start a new chat. Below the message box, click the + icon, then Connectors. Toggle on the skill you just added.

The skill is now available for this chat. Ask ChatGPT to use it:

prompt
Use the web search connector to find recent news about Solana.
06

Verify it ran

When ChatGPT calls a connector, you'll see a small Used [connector name] chip in the message bubble. Click it to expand the call and see exactly what was sent and returned.

No chip = ChatGPT didn't actually use the skill. Try a more specific prompt, or check Settings → Connectors to confirm the toggle is on.

Limits worth knowing

  • No local skills. Anything that needs to read your local files, talk to a local database, or run a desktop app won't work. Use Claude Desktop or Cursor for those.
  • One connector per call by default. ChatGPT isn't as good as Claude at chaining several skills in a single turn. Plan multi-step workflows accordingly.
  • Shorter context. Large tool results may get truncated. If a skill returns 10 MB of JSON, ChatGPT will only see part of it.
  • Enterprise admins can lock this down. If your workspace admin has restricted connectors, you'll see only an approved list. Ask them to whitelist the iClaude URL.

Why does Claude Desktop have more skills?

Claude Desktop supports both local and remote MCP servers, while ChatGPT supports only remote ones. That's the whole reason. A lot of useful skills (PDF reading, file editing, local database) run as small programs on your laptop — those need a local host.

If a skill you want isn't on the ChatGPT-compatible list, try Claude Desktop instead.