What "installing" Plainpaper actually means
You don't download anything. In Claude, a tool like Plainpaper is a connector, a secure link between your chat and the service. Adding it is the same flow you'd use for Canva or Notion: find it in the directory, click Connect, and sign in once. From then on, Claude can open a Plainpaper board and write campaign cards onto it whenever you ask, without you leaving the conversation.
The whole thing takes about three minutes, and most of that is the one-time sign-in. Below is every step, in order.
Before you start. You'll need a Claude plan that supports connectors (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise) and a Plainpaper account (free to create when you connect). On Team and Enterprise, an admin may need to switch the Plainpaper connector on for your workspace first.
The setup at a glance
Three stages: find it, authorize it, switch it on in a chat. Each one is a couple of clicks.
Step by step: add the connector
Open Connectors in Claude's settings
On claude.ai, click your name in the bottom-left, choose Settings, then open the Connectors tab. In Claude Desktop, it's Settings → Connectors as well. This is the screen that lists every tool Claude can reach.
No Connectors tab? That usually means your plan doesn't include connectors yet, or, on Team and Enterprise, an admin hasn't enabled them. Free and some legacy plans won't show it.
Open the connector directory
Click Browse connectors. This opens Claude's directory, the curated catalogue where Canva, Notion, and other tools live. It's the same list you'd scroll to add any of them.
Search for Plainpaper
Type Plainpaper into the directory search and open its listing. You'll see what it does and the permissions it asks for: permission to create boards and read and write the cards on them.
Click Connect and authorize
Hit Connect. A secure window opens on Plainpaper's own site, where you sign in (or create a free account) and approve access. This uses OAuth, so Claude never sees your password. It only receives permission to work with your boards. Approve, and the window closes on its own.
You stay in control of what ships. The connector lets Claude draft on the board, not send on your behalf. Approval of emails and ad creative always happens on the board, and the real sending runs through each tool's own connector.
Confirm it shows "Connected"
You're returned to the Connectors screen, and Plainpaper now sits in your list with a Connected label. That's the install done. Plainpaper is wired to your Claude account.
Switch Plainpaper on in a chat
Connecting a tool makes it available; each chat decides which connectors are active. Open a new conversation, click the search-and-tools menu near the message box, and make sure Plainpaper is toggled on. Now Claude can use it here.
Create your first board
Ask Claude to start something. It opens a Plainpaper board and begins writing cards onto it. You'll see the board fill in as it works.
Create a Plainpaper board for a Black Friday skincare campaign. Start from the Ecommerce playbook, draft a primary audience and a brief, and put them on the board so I can review.
Claude · Plainpaper connected
plainpaper · create_board
plainpaper · add_card
Take a look. The audience and brief are ready for review.
What you'd see: Claude calls the Plainpaper connector to create the board and add cards. They appear on the canvas in real time, ready for you to review.
If something's not working
- No "Connectors" tab in Settings. Your plan likely doesn't include connectors, or an admin hasn't enabled them. Connectors are a Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise feature.
- Plainpaper isn't in the directory. Make sure you've clicked Browse connectors (not just the short "recommended" list) and search the full catalogue. On Team and Enterprise, an admin may need to approve it for the workspace.
- Claude says it can't reach Plainpaper. Open the search-and-tools menu in your chat and confirm Plainpaper is toggled on for that conversation. Connecting it in Settings isn't the same as enabling it in a chat.
- The authorize window closed without connecting. Pop-up blockers can interrupt the OAuth step. Allow pop-ups for Claude, then click Connect again.
- You want to start over. In Settings → Connectors, choose Disconnect on Plainpaper, then add it again from the directory.
What to do once it's connected
With the connector live, the board becomes Claude's workspace. A few first things worth asking for:
- Start from a playbook. Ask Claude to open a board from the Ecommerce or Product Launch playbook so the phases and starter cards are already in place.
- Draft an audience and a brief. Give it the goal and the offer in plain language; it lays each one out as a typed card you can correct.
- Approve before anything ships. Emails and ad creative land on the board for your sign-off. Claude only pushes them out through each destination's own connector after you approve.
Key takeaways
- Plainpaper installs as a connector with no download. Find it under Settings → Connectors → Browse connectors.
- Find it in the directory beside tools like Canva, click Connect, and sign in once via OAuth.
- Connecting makes it available; switch it on per chat from the search-and-tools menu.
- Connectors need a Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise plan; Team and Enterprise may need an admin to approve it.
- The connector lets Claude draft on the board. You still approve what actually ships.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find Plainpaper in Claude?
Open Settings → Connectors, then click Browse connectors to open the directory. Search for Plainpaper and open its listing. It sits alongside connectors like Canva and Notion. Click Connect to add it.
Do I need a paid Claude plan to use connectors?
Yes. Connectors from the directory are available on Claude's Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans. On Team and Enterprise, an admin may need to enable the connector for the workspace before you can add it.
Is it safe to connect Plainpaper to Claude?
Yes. The connection uses OAuth, so you sign in on Plainpaper's own page and Claude never receives your password. You grant Plainpaper permission to read and write your boards, and you can revoke that access at any time from the Connectors screen.
Why don't I see Plainpaper in my chat after connecting?
Connecting a tool in Settings makes it available, but each chat decides which connectors are on. Open the search-and-tools menu near the message box and switch Plainpaper on for that conversation. If it's still missing, refresh or start a new chat.
Does Plainpaper send my emails or post my ads?
No. Plainpaper is the canvas where Claude drafts and you approve. It holds the plan and the assets, not your sending credentials. Claude pushes approved work out through each destination's own connector (Mailchimp, Meta, your ESP), never from Plainpaper.
How do I remove or disconnect Plainpaper?
Open Settings → Connectors, find Plainpaper, and choose Disconnect. That revokes Claude's access immediately. You can reconnect later from the directory whenever you want.
Next step: give the connector a board
The connector is only half the setup. It needs a Plainpaper board to write to. Plainpaper is in early access and connects to your Claude client in a couple of minutes. Join the list, and your next campaign can start on a canvas your agent fills in for you.