You've heard that Claude can schedule your Instagram posts now. You open Claude, ask it to post a Reel, and nothing happens, because nothing is connected yet. That's the step this guide fixes.

Before anything else: this whole workflow runs through Planoly's MCP hub, which is the connector that lets an AI assistant actually act inside your Planoly account instead of just talking about it. Below is the exact setup for the four places business owners are asking about most: Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, and the Gemini CLI.

What you need before you start

A Planoly plan that includes MCP access, and a login for whichever AI tool you're connecting. Claude's free plan can browse the connector, but scheduling and publishing through it requires a paid Claude plan. ChatGPT needs a plan with custom connector support turned on for your workspace. There is nothing to install on your computer for any of these except Claude Code and the Gemini CLI, which assume you're comfortable in a terminal.

Connecting Claude (web and desktop)

1. Turn on developer mode. This is the step that trips up almost everyone, so slow down here. In Claude, open Settings, go to the Connectors section, and look for a toggle labeled Developer Mode or Advanced Settings, depending on your plan. This has to be switched on before Claude will let you add a custom connector URL at all. If you don't see it, you're likely on a plan tier that doesn't include custom connectors yet.

2. Add Planoly's connector URL. Once developer mode is on, choose "Add custom connector" and paste in Planoly's MCP server address, found in your Planoly account under Settings > Integrations > Claude Connector.

3. Authorize the connection. Claude opens a browser window asking you to log into Planoly and approve access. Log in with the same email you use for Planoly, not whichever Google or Apple account happens to be signed in on your browser.

4. Verify it worked. Ask Claude: "What Planoly workspaces do you have access to?" If it names your actual workspace back to you, you're connected.

Connecting ChatGPT

1. Open Connectors in ChatGPT settings. Choose "Add custom connector" the same way you would for any third-party MCP server.

2. Paste the same Planoly server address from your Planoly Integrations page.

3. Authorize with your Planoly login when the browser prompt appears.

4. Verify it worked. Ask: "Show me my Planoly post drafts." A working connection returns real data, not an error about missing permissions.

Connecting Claude Code and the Gemini CLI

1. Add the connector via config, not a settings menu. Both of these are command-line tools, so the connector gets added by editing a config file rather than clicking a toggle. Claude Code uses its MCP settings file; the Gemini CLI uses its own extensions config. Planoly's Integrations page has the exact snippet to paste for each.

2. Restart the session after saving the config so the new connector loads.

3. Verify it worked. Run a prompt like "list my Planoly channels" in each tool. If you see your actual connected accounts, the config was read correctly.

Can I connect Gemini or NotebookLM instead of Claude?

This is one of the most common questions we hear, so it's worth answering plainly. The Gemini CLI works today, using the config method above. The consumer Gemini app and NotebookLM don't currently support custom MCP connectors the way Claude and ChatGPT do, so connecting either of those means writing your own integration against Planoly's API rather than a five-minute setup. For most business owners, that's not a practical option yet. If you're already comfortable in Claude or ChatGPT, start there.

Common setup errors and how to fix them

Most setup problems fall into one of five buckets. Here's what's actually going wrong and how to get past it.

• Your paid Claude account is on a different email than your Planoly login. This silently breaks the connection with no clear error message. Fix it by re-authenticating through your browser and logging into Planoly with the same email your Claude account uses.
• Tools aren't showing up after you authorize. Usually means the authorization finished but Claude, ChatGPT, or your CLI tool hasn't refreshed its tool list yet. Start a new conversation or restart the app before assuming the connection failed.
• You're getting an upgrade prompt on a free plan. Custom connectors and MCP scheduling are gated behind paid plans on both Planoly and the AI tool side. Check both, not just one.
• Claude saved your images somewhere unexpected, like Dropbox instead of Google Drive. This usually traces back to a Claude rule or connected folder from an earlier setup step, not a Planoly issue. Check which folder Claude is pointed at before assuming a bug.
• A post gets refused for aspect ratio, length, or a missing Instagram Business account. Instagram requires a Business or Creator account for analytics and some post types to work through MCP at all. If a post keeps failing, check that requirement first.

What you can do once you're connected

Once any of these tools show your real Planoly data back to you, you're ready for actual work: drafting a week of captions, scheduling a batch of posts, or pulling last month's performance before you plan the next one. If you want the technical detail behind what the connector can and can't do under the hood, Planoly's technical reference covers the full tool list. And if you're already set up with Claude, you can skip straight to finding Planoly in the Claude Connector Directory instead of hunting for the server address yourself.

FAQ

Do I need a paid plan to connect Planoly to Claude?
Yes, on both sides. You need a Planoly plan with MCP access and a Claude plan that supports custom connectors.

Why can't I find the developer mode toggle in Claude?
It's plan-gated. If you don't see it under Settings > Connectors, your current plan likely doesn't include custom connector support yet.

Can I connect more than one AI tool to the same Planoly account?
Yes. Claude, ChatGPT, Claude Code, and the Gemini CLI can all connect to the same Planoly workspace at once, using the same server address.

Can I connect Gemini or NotebookLM instead of Claude?
The Gemini CLI works today. The consumer Gemini app and NotebookLM don't yet support custom MCP connectors, so that would mean building your own integration rather than a standard setup.

What do I do if a post keeps getting refused?
Check aspect ratio and length first, then confirm your Instagram account is set to Business or Creator, since that's required for several post types and all analytics.

Once you're connected, the next question is usually "okay, now what do I actually ask it to do." That's exactly what we cover in Planoly's Claude guides next.