ChatGPT connectors not working? Fixes for GitHub, Drive, Gmail

Short answer

Most broken ChatGPT connectors (now apps, inside plugins) come down to one of three things: the app isn't offered on your plan, region or device; the sign-in is missing a permission or an admin's approval; or a known bug, most often a safety check that blocks a write. Start a new chat and pick the app with @. If that fails, reconnect it once under Settings › Plugins and approve every permission. After that, OpenAI's troubleshooting page says to stop reconnecting and contact support.

First: is the app available to you here?

OpenAI says an app can show Connected and still not work in the current chat, model or surface (troubleshooting). Check these first:

• Plan. Slack needs a paid ChatGPT plan. Free and Go can't use plugin extensions or tasks that start on a new email.
• Region. In August 2025, OpenAI said connectors on Plus and Pro aren't offered in the EEA, Switzerland and the UK. No later release note says that changed for Gmail or Outlook.
• Mode. Deep research uses only an app's read actions, and not every app supports it (deep research). GitHub may work in deep research or agent mode but not in chat.
• Device. Plugins marked Desktop only don't run on the web (plugins).

Any app

"Disabled by admin"

In a Business, Enterprise or Edu workspace, an admin turns on the plugin, and each app inside it, in the Admin console under Plugins. On a personal account, OpenAI says the message doesn't by itself mean anyone blocked the app: check your plan, region, provider account, app version and device, then contact support (troubleshooting).

"All permissions are required"

You skipped a permission on the provider's screen. Select Reconnect (Try again for Google) and approve everything; on Google's screen, choose Select all. To connect fewer Google apps, use Select fewer apps in ChatGPT instead (account help).

Connected, but ChatGPT says the tool is unavailable

From late August 2026, users saw Gmail and Drive authorized in Settings while chats said "Drive/Gmail tool unavailable" or "has been disabled" (forum thread). Reinstalling didn't fix it. OpenAI's support suggested a fresh chat with the app selected; one user got through by waiting about 90 seconds and retrying.

"This tool call was blocked by OpenAI's safety checks"

A check before a write can block it even after you approved it. Since September 2026, people have hit it on Drive edits and on Gmail drafts and sends (Drive thread, Gmail thread). OpenAI says no permission setting, reconnection or saved approval overrides it. What helped:

• Name the app. Users saw fewer blocks in November 2026 when the prompt started with @Google Drive.
• Draft in the chat. OpenAI's support suggested having ChatGPT write each email in the chat, then choosing which to save to Gmail.
• Start a new chat. After one block, later requests in the same chat were often blocked too.

If an action stops halfway, check the destination before retrying. In September 2026, one approved Gmail send went out six times.

Google Drive

Connected, but ChatGPT can't see your files

Check that the connected Google account can open the file in Drive. Then start a new chat, paste the file's link and ask ChatGPT to read it through Google Drive (Drive help). If it still sees nothing, contact support: in a March 2026 thread, reconnecting didn't help.

Shared Drive files are missing

ChatGPT's Library covers My Drive and files shared directly with you, not Shared Drives yet (Google data FAQ). On Enterprise, admins can also block whole shared drives.

You can open a file but not update it

OpenAI names three causes: ChatGPT doesn't support that edit, the action is off in your workspace, or a Google permission is missing (Google data FAQ). If you connected the old Docs or Sheets apps before March 2026, reconnect Google Drive to get its newer actions. More in Google Docs with ChatGPT.

Gmail

Gmail isn't offered at all

On Plus or Pro in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK, that's the regional limit above. See Gmail with ChatGPT in the EU and UK.

A work Gmail or Drive won't connect

A Google Workspace admin has to trust the ChatGPT/OpenAI app or approve the scopes it asks for, such as gmail.modify (Google data FAQ). An Enterprise company can also stop work accounts connecting to a personal ChatGPT account: switch to the company's workspace. With several Gmail accounts connected, name the one you mean (multiple Gmail accounts).

Google Calendar

Only your main calendar is searched

Reported in July 2026: ChatGPT ignored secondary calendars such as "Home". OpenAI's support suggested reconnecting, testing in a new chat, then emailing support@openai.com.

All-day events fail

Since late September 2026, all-day events fail with "Missing required tool arguments: start_time, end_time" (GitHub issue). It's still open. The reporter's fallback: a timed event from midnight to midnight.

The Android app seems frozen

In May 2026, a user found ChatGPT waiting for a Confirm/Deny prompt that never showed on Android (forum thread). Confirming on desktop created the event.

GitHub

The ChatGPT GitHub guide has the full fixes.

Connected, but only public repos (or none)

Signing in isn't enough: install the ChatGPT Codex Connector app on your account or organization at https://github.com/apps/chatgpt-codex-connector/installations/new and select the repos. They take about five minutes to appear, and an organization may need to approve the app (GitHub help).

Reconnecting succeeds, but ChatGPT sees zero repos

An open report from August 2026: the plugin says connected but finds no installation, and on Android some got a reconnect loop. In late October, one user fixed it by authorizing again from ChatGPT on Windows and picking the repos there.

ChatGPT's GitHub app also only reads: it can't create issues or pull requests.

Outlook, Teams and SharePoint

A personal Outlook.com or Hotmail account is turned away

People are told only business or education accounts work, and were still reporting it in November 2026 on Microsoft Q&A. See personal Outlook with ChatGPT.

"Need admin approval"

That's Microsoft's consent screen: your organization needs an admin to approve the app (Microsoft's guide). A Microsoft Entra admin approves ChatGPT's permissions, and a ChatGPT workspace admin turns on the actions; they may be different people. Then reconnect your Microsoft account (Outlook help).

Notion

A page is missing

ChatGPT sees only pages the connected Notion account can open, in the workspace you authorized. Open the page in Notion with that account, and connect the right workspace if you have several (Notion help).

Write actions are missing

OpenAI updated the Notion app on March 27, 2026 with new actions, including writes. If you connected before that, reconnect (release notes).

Notion works in the browser but not the Windows app

An open October 2026 report: Notion's tools fail in the Windows desktop app but work on the web. In another, antivirus HTTPS scanning (Norton, Avast) broke plugin tools in the desktop app. Use chatgpt.com in a browser meanwhile.

Slack

A reconnect prompt usually means ChatGPT needs a Slack permission you haven't granted, for example after an admin turned on a new action. Deep research or agent mode can use up your own Slack API quota (Slack help).

Scheduled tasks

"I've paused this task because updates haven't been viewed in a while"

OpenAI says inactive tasks may pause automatically (scheduled tasks). Open Scheduled in the sidebar and resume it. More in ChatGPT scheduled tasks.

Writes work in chat but are blocked when scheduled

Since late September 2026, safety checks have stopped Gmail sends and Sheets writes in scheduled runs that pass in a normal chat, even with Allow all actions (forum thread). OpenAI's support suggested recreating the task in Work.

Custom MCP servers

If Create custom MCP server is missing or a server won't connect, see how to add a custom MCP server to ChatGPT. You add one on the web only. OpenAI's help page lists full support for Business, Enterprise and Edu, and read and fetch tools only for Pro, while its developer docs list no plan limit. If the option is missing on a personal plan, check your plan first.

When Upsy is a way around

Upsy helps where the problem is an app's limits, not access. You connect each app once in Upsy, up to five accounts per app, and add Upsy to ChatGPT as a custom MCP server at https://upsy.ai/connect:

• Personal Outlook, through outlook.com in Upsy's cloud browser. Upsy's own Outlook connector is waiting on Microsoft's approval.
• GitHub writes: issues, comments and pull requests.
• Shared Drives in Drive search.
• Limits per account: No access, Read-only, Full access or Pick actions, for each assistant.

It doesn't fix access problems. Upsy is a custom MCP server, so your plan and workspace must allow one, and it can't get around a region restriction. A Workspace admin's block still applies: while Google reviews Upsy's own app, Gmail, Calendar and Drive sign in through Composio, so you may see Composio on Google's screen. And ChatGPT's safety checks still apply: the scheduled-task thread above reports blocks on custom MCP tools too.

Before you contact support

Check OpenAI's status page first: on November 14, 2026, for example, it listed errors with the Microsoft 365 connector. Then send what OpenAI's troubleshooting page asks for: the app, the connected account, the exact message, chat or scheduled task, the model and app you used, what you tried, the date and time zone, any request ID, and a screenshot without private details. Never include passwords or tokens.

FAQ

Why are my ChatGPT connectors not working?

Usually the app isn't offered on your plan, region or device, a permission or admin approval is missing, or a safety check blocked a write. Start a new chat, pick the app with @, and reconnect once before contacting support.

Why is the ChatGPT Google Drive connector not working?

Check that the connected Google account can open the file, then paste its link in a new chat. Shared Drives aren't in ChatGPT's Library yet, and at work a Google admin may have to approve the app.

Why is the ChatGPT Gmail connector not working?

On Plus or Pro in Europe or the UK, Gmail isn't offered. Elsewhere, reconnect and approve every permission. Blocked drafts and sends are safety checks: have ChatGPT write the email in the chat first.

Why is the ChatGPT GitHub connector not working?

Usually the ChatGPT Codex Connector app isn't installed on your account or organization. Install it on GitHub and select the repos.

Why is the ChatGPT Outlook connector not working?

It takes work or school accounts only, and your organization may need a Microsoft admin to approve it.