Record of connector-access behaviour observed in a single ChatGPT conversation on 5 September 2026. The behaviour is inconsistent across connector types and may also differ depending on conversation/session or possibly interaction mode.
Custom/developer MCP connectors were usable, while several built-in Google connected-app connectors were discoverable but rejected when invoked. Google Drive nevertheless worked through the separate Files/Library integration. Outlook connectors that had been visible in other conversations were not exposed in this one.
Notes: worked. README/TRIGGERS/CONTENTS and other notes were read earlier in the conversation; notes were also successfully created and edited, including the Kendall feedback work-in-progress note and its link from the poems index.
Misc: worked. Its hello operation was invoked successfully and returned “hello”. The connector also exposed pg_query for the OwnTracks/location PostgreSQL database.
Google Drive via Files/Library: worked for both listing and actual content access. The /Google Drive mount was listed and a Google Doc named dr_who_fix_project_notes was opened and read in full, demonstrating end-to-end document-content access rather than merely metadata/listing access.
Google Calendar: connector/functions were discoverable, but attempts to search/read events failed before any calendar data was returned.
Gmail: connector/functions were discoverable. An attempt to read up to 100 recent non-promotional inbox messages so they could be grouped by sender failed before any mail was returned.
Google Contacts: connector/functions were discoverable. A contact search was attempted and failed before any contact data was returned.
All three produced the same error: “FORBIDDEN: This conversation is restricted to developer MCPs”.
Outlook Email and Outlook Calendar were not exposed to the assistant in this conversation, despite recent separate conversations in which @Outlook Email / @Outlook Calendar had apparently been available. Consequently no Outlook message or appointment could be read here.
The common Google error does not look like the previously observed Google OAuth/token-expiry problem. The tools themselves can be discovered, but execution is rejected at a conversation/tool-routing permission layer before the underlying operation returns data.
The fact that Google Drive works does not mean all Google connectivity works: Drive is being reached through ChatGPT's Files/Library integration, apparently a different route from Gmail, Calendar and Contacts. Thus the observed split is better described as Files/Drive working while Google connected-app tool invocation is blocked.
The wording “restricted to developer MCPs” is consistent with Notes and Misc continuing to work, since these are John's custom/developer MCP services. It should not be treated as a formal explanation of the platform architecture without further evidence.
There is evidence that availability can differ between conversations: Google Calendar and Outlook-related chats appear in recent conversation history even though the corresponding operations are blocked or absent here. This makes the problem particularly awkward for persistent-assistant workflows: configured connectors may be usable in one chat but unavailable in another.
John has previously observed divergent connector outcomes depending on whether he is speaking or typing. Immediately before this note was created, a spoken request was answered as though Notes was not exposed; John then typed a request to try again, and Notes discovery succeeded and this note could be written. This is a useful observation but not yet proof that voice versus typed input is causal: the difference could instead be timing, session/tool refresh, routing, or another state change. It is worth reproducing deliberately.
In the same conversation, compare typed and spoken requests to discover and invoke the same harmless Notes operation. Repeat with a harmless built-in connected-app read. Record whether the connector is absent, discoverable-but-forbidden, or successfully invoked. Also compare a fresh conversation with an established conversation. Preserve the exact error text and note whether failure occurs at discovery or invocation.
Notes — exposed: yes; invocation: works. Misc — exposed: yes; invocation: works. Google Drive via Files — exposed: yes; listing: works; document read: works. Google Calendar — exposed/discoverable: yes; invocation: FORBIDDEN. Gmail — exposed/discoverable: yes; invocation: FORBIDDEN. Google Contacts — exposed/discoverable: yes; invocation: FORBIDDEN. Outlook Email/Calendar — not exposed in this conversation, although apparently available in other conversations.
Open investigation. The strongest current hypothesis is conversation/tool-routing restrictions separating developer MCPs from some connected-app tools, with an additional possible interaction-mode (voice versus typed) effect that needs controlled reproduction.