Connector requirements on Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and the MCP Registry

What do Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and the MCP Registry check before they list a connector?

Each directory checks different things. Claude's portal scans every submission and lists new connectors as Community. OpenAI asks for a domain token, a verified identity and eight test cases. Cursor reviews each plugin by hand from a public Git repository. The MCP Registry asks for a server.json under a namespace you authenticate. Invokary lists each rule with its source and the date we last checked it.

This page sets the requirements from our four platform pages side by side, grouped by topic. Each entry links to its row on the platform page, with its sources and the date we checked it.

Reviewed by Mohd. Ashhar · Last verified: October 4, 2026

Requirements by platform

Platform requirements by topic
	Claude Connectors Directory	ChatGPT Plugins Directory	Cursor Marketplace	Official MCP Registry
Submission	Anthropic opened its directory submission portal, for plugins and MCP connectors, on September 25, 2026. The portal accepts two kinds of submission: an MCP connector, given as a remote server URL and listed in the Connectors Directory, or a plugin bundle hosted on GitHub and listed in the Claude plugin directory. Plugin and connector submissions go through automated checks and a safety scan. Plugin and connector publishers see each submission's review status in the developer portal, and the changes Anthropic asks for. Once a plugin version passes review, you select Publish. By default an Anthropic reviewer then publishes it, and Anthropic can let later versions publish automatically.	A domain verification token is served at /.well-known/openai-apps-challenge on the MCP server's host or a parent host. The submission includes exactly five positive and three negative test cases. The submission includes a demo recording. The submission includes release notes that summarize the version being submitted and what changed. The submission lists website, support, privacy policy and terms of service URLs. Reviewer test credentials work without MFA, SMS or email confirmation, or private-network access.	Plugins are submitted at cursor.com/marketplace/publish from a public Git repository. Every plugin is manually reviewed before it is listed. Cursor accepts a root plugin.json (the Agent Plugins standard) or a .cursor-plugin/plugin.json (a Cursor Plugin). Plugin names are lowercase kebab-case.	A remote server is published with a server.json whose remotes property lists its URL, and the server must be publicly accessible there.
Who can submit	Plugins and MCP connectors have the same submitter rules: Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans can submit; free accounts can't. On Team and Enterprise an Owner submits, and on Enterprise an Owner can also grant the Directory permission to other members.	The submitter has a verified individual or business identity. The submitter has Apps Management write access.	Not stated in the sources we track.	You authenticate the namespace you publish under: GitHub for io.github.* names, or DNS or HTTP for a domain you control.
Listing tiers	New Connectors Directory listings carry the Community label. Anthropic may escalate a connector to Verified review on its own: there is no application, and Verified reviewers run a functional test of each tool.	Not stated in the sources we track.	Not stated in the sources we track.	Not stated in the sources we track.
Auth	Claude connects to a remote MCP server with OAuth 2.0, where each user signs in, with a static API key or bearer token that an organization Owner enters once (in beta, for a limited set of organizations), or with no authentication.	To restrict access by workspace domain, the OAuth server has a UserInfo endpoint that returns email_verified, and it offers the openid and email scopes.	Not stated in the sources we track.	Not stated in the sources we track.
Review rules	Every tool has a title and the applicable hint: readOnlyHint for read-only tools, destructiveHint for tools that modify or delete data. Tool names are 64 characters or fewer. Tool descriptions say what the tool does and when to use it. They must not tell Claude how to behave. A single tool that mixes safe and unsafe HTTP methods, such as a catch-all api_request tool, is rejected. Read and write actions go in separate tools. A connector submission includes test credentials for a fully populated account. For a plugin bundle, the first organization to submit a repository folder holds that listing.	Every MCP tool sets readOnlyHint, openWorldHint and destructiveHint to match what it does, with a justification for each. After publication, OpenAI periodically fetches your MCP tools. Deleted tools are removed as soon as a scan finds them, and changed tools go live once they pass automated checks.	Open-source components must use permissive licenses, such as MIT, BSD or Apache 2.0. GPL, AGPL and LGPL are not allowed.	Not stated in the sources we track.
Limits	Not stated in the sources we track.	Projects with EU data residency cannot currently submit MCP plugins.	Not stated in the sources we track.	The registry is in preview: breaking changes or data resets may happen before general availability.
After launch	After launch, plugin publishers see installs by product surface and version, listing views, and the searches that lead to a listing.	Not stated in the sources we track.	Not stated in the sources we track.	Not stated in the sources we track.
Extensions	Claude supports two MCP extensions for connectors and the plugins built on them: MCP Apps, for interactive UI inside chat, and Enterprise Managed Auth, for zero-touch OAuth for enterprise users.	Not stated in the sources we track.	Not stated in the sources we track.	Not stated in the sources we track.
Distribution	Not stated in the sources we track.	Published plugins appear in the Plugins Directory shared by ChatGPT and Codex.	Team marketplaces are available on the Teams plan (one marketplace) and the Enterprise plan (unlimited).	Not stated in the sources we track.

Protocol

MCP 2026-07-28 removed sessions and the initialize handshake, made servers implement server/discover, and deprecated Dynamic Client Registration in favor of Client ID Metadata Documents. DCR still works for backward compatibility, for now. Servers built last year need work.
Official sourceSource: MCP blog, July 28, 2026: The 2026-07-28 specification; MCP specification 2026-07-28: Key changesChecked October 4, 2026

Download the data

Every requirement on this page is open data under CC BY 4.0. The files list each one with its platform, product surface, sources, evidence label and check date; the platform changes are a separate file. Credit Invokary and link to this page when you use them.

CC BY 4.0 · Updated October 4, 2026 · 37 requirements

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