> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ironlabs.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connectors

> Plug Foundry into external services — Exa, ElevenLabs, Firecrawl, and more — so the assistant can use real tools.

A **Connector** plugs Foundry into an external service. Once connected, the assistant can call that service inside chat — search Exa, generate speech with ElevenLabs, crawl pages with Firecrawl, build a Gamma deck.

Open the connectors panel from the composer with `+`.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/ironaai/jz9FK1T3e0dey9ma/foundry/images/connectors/panel.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=jz9FK1T3e0dey9ma&q=85&s=f2fa26dda6adb11fe0a2907bd5191a17" alt="Connectors modal — all eight pre-installed connectors with descriptions and enable toggles." width="3456" height="1872" data-path="foundry/images/connectors/panel.png" />
</Frame>

## How it works

1. Connect a service once — you paste your API key.
2. The assistant can then call that service inside any chat where the connector is enabled.
3. Calls happen through a sandbox proxy. Your API key never leaks into the chat or the model context — Foundry adds it server-side at call time.

## Two flavors

| Flavor                       | What it is                                                                                                                                                                             |
| ---------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Pre-installed Connectors** | Eight services that ship ready to wire up — Exa, Parallel, ElevenLabs, Firecrawl, Valyu, OpenRouter, Fal AI, Gamma. See [Pre-installed Connectors](/foundry/connectors/pre-installed). |
| **Custom Connectors**        | Any API-key-auth service you want to plug in. See [Adding custom connectors](/foundry/connectors/adding-custom).                                                                       |

## When you'd use a connector

* *"Generate a voiceover of this script in Rachel's voice."* → ElevenLabs.
* *"Crawl this competitor's pricing page and structure the tiers."* → Firecrawl.
* *"Turn this outline into a deck."* → Gamma.
* *"Spin up 4 model responses in parallel to compare."* → Parallel.

## Tips

* **Connect once, use everywhere.** Connectors are per-account, not per-chat.
* **Toggle off when you don't want them.** The `+` menu lets you enable/disable per-chat so you don't accidentally burn quota.

## Limits

* All connectors today are **API-key auth**. OAuth flows aren't yet wired up.
* Some connectors meter usage on your account (you bring your own key, you pay your own bill).

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Pre-installed connectors" icon="square-check" href="/foundry/connectors/pre-installed">
    The eight that ship with Foundry.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Zapier" icon="bolt" href="/foundry/connectors/zapier">
    Put Foundry into your Zaps.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Add a custom connector" icon="plus" href="/foundry/connectors/adding-custom">
    Anything with an API key.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Skills" icon="puzzle-piece" href="/foundry/skills/overview">
    Skills often pair with a connector.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>