I just connected my Google Drive, Gmail, and Canva accounts to ChatGPT, and let me tell you — game changer! Instead of bouncing between tabs and searching through files or emails, I can now ask ChatGPT to handle a lot of that work for me. It’s like having a personal assistant who knows exactly where everything lives.
What are Connectors?
OpenAI release a feature called Connectors which are like smart bridges between ChatGPT and your favorite apps. They give ChatGPT access to your data on these platforms so you can securely pull in your files, emails, or designs so you can search, summarize, and create without leaving the chat.
OpenAI started rolling out connectors in June 2025 with Google Drive, Box, OneDrive, and others. By August 2025, they added Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Contacts, and Canva. Right now, connectors are available on ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education plans (with some regional restrictions).
Here are 20 ways I’m already using it (and you can too):
With Google Drive
- Find files instantly – I just ask, “Pull up my proposal draft” and boom, there it is.
- Summarize long docs – Perfect when someone shares a 20-page report and I need the highlights.
- Pull out to-dos – It can scan meeting notes and give me just the action items.
- Compare versions – No more squinting between two docs to spot changes.
- Analyze spreadsheets – I can ask, “What’s the trend here?” and get insights in plain English.
- Rewrite sections – If I don’t like a paragraph, ChatGPT suggests better wording right in context.
- Build outlines – From messy brainstorming notes, it creates a clean structure for a blog or project plan.
With Gmail
- Summarize my inbox – I don’t have to open 50 emails to know what’s important.
- Spot deadlines – It pulls dates right out of emails so I never miss one.
- Draft replies – I can say, “Write a polite response to this client” and it’s done.
- Prioritize messages – It helps me focus on what needs attention first.
- Retrieve old threads – I just ask, “Find the email about last month’s invoice,” and it’s surfaced.
- Make follow-up lists – Great for keeping track of who I still need to reply to.
- Find patterns – Like when customers keep asking the same question — super helpful for updating FAQs.
With Canva
- Write copy for designs – Headlines, taglines, and captions are ready to drop into templates.
- Pull up past designs – I don’t have to dig through Canva folders anymore.
- Suggest design tweaks – It gives me ideas for better layout or balance.
- Brainstorm fresh content – I can ask for social post concepts or flyer ideas on the spot.
- Repurpose content – One blog post turns into 5 social graphics without me rewriting everything.
- Build branded templates – ChatGPT helps me set up reusable Canva templates with my colors and fonts so everything looks consistent.
Why I’m Excited
Connecting these three tools has simplified so many little daily tasks. It’s like I suddenly have a digital assistant who understands my files, emails, and designs — and can help me work smarter, not harder.
If you spend your day juggling Google Docs, email, and Canva like I do, I can’t recommend this setup enough. It keeps me organized, saves time, and makes content creation a whole lot easier.
Bonus – Click to download the exact prompts you would use to do these 20 things.
