# Custom MCP servers connect to Claude and ChatGPT in multiple steps > Source: > Published: 2026-07-30 07:53:43.994999+00:00 [Simon Willison](https://simonwillison.net/2026/Jul/29/mcp-in-claude-and-chatgpt/#atom-everything) ### Custom MCP servers connect to Claude and ChatGPT in multiple steps Which summary reads better? Pick one — models revealed after.Both summaries are AI-generated. Claude and ChatGPT now support integration with custom Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, enabling developers to extend their capabilities with custom tools and data sources in a few steps, effectively expanding the range of tasks these models can handle in production environments. Custom MCP servers can now be wired into the standard Claude and ChatGPT chat interfaces, but the setup is still multi-step rather than plug-and-play. For production teams, this makes MCP useful for exposing internal tools to mainstream chat UIs, but you should budget for integration friction and operational docs instead of assuming a simple end-user install flow.