ChatGPT users who write for work often keep a second browser tab open for checking and refining drafts. With developer mode and a custom connector, that second tab can fold into the conversation itself.
Setting it up takes a few minutes and is mostly a matter of knowing where the options live. This guide covers what you need, the exact path through the settings, and what to expect afterward.
Who Can Use It
Developer mode is available on ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Team, and Enterprise plans. It is off by default, which is why many users have never seen the custom connector option. Turning it on is a deliberate choice, and it is worth understanding what it changes before doing so.
On the Phrasly side, free and paid accounts can both connect, so there is no extra subscription needed just for the connection.
Setting It Up
- Open Settings, then Apps & Connectors, and turn on Developer mode under Advanced.
- Click Create to add a custom connector.
- Paste the server address, https://phrasly.ai/api/mcp.
- Choose OAuth, leave the Client ID and Secret blank, create the connector, and sign in with your Phrasly account.
Why the Client ID Stays Blank
The server supports automatic client registration. ChatGPT registers itself during the connection, so there is no key to copy and nothing to store. Leaving the fields empty is correct and is not an omission.
What You Can Ask For
After the connection, this MCP server makes three kinds of request possible in plain language: rewrite a draft so it reads more naturally, check text with the Phrasly AI detector, and report account status such as plan and words remaining.
The detector returns a verdict, a percentage, and the number of flagged sentences. The rewriting tool uses the same engine as the website, and paid plans and trials run Phrasly Ultra.
A Sensible First Session
Start by asking how many words you have left. That confirms the connection without using any text. Next, paste a short paragraph you wrote yourself and ask for a check, so you get a feel for how the score behaves on your own writing.
Then try a rewrite on a paragraph that feels stiff, compare the two versions, and decide which parts to keep. That gives you a realistic sense of how much to rely on each tool.
Developer Mode Cautions
Developer mode exists because custom connectors can do real things on real accounts. Connect only servers from providers you trust, read the permissions requested, and review which connectors are active from time to time. Removing one you no longer use is a good habit.
For Phrasly specifically, the connection acts only on the account you sign in with, and you can disconnect from your Phrasly settings whenever you like.
How It Compares to Using the Website
The engine, limits, and word balance are the same as on the website, and everything rewritten in ChatGPT appears in your Phrasly document history. The difference is convenience: the tools are available where the drafting already happens.
A Weekly Habit for ChatGPT Writers
Writers who use ChatGPT daily can build a small routine around the connector. On Monday, check the week’s planned posts. Midweek, rewrite one stiff paragraph per piece. On Friday, review account status to see how much of the plan has been used. The routine takes minutes and keeps the toolkit in regular use.
- Check each draft before it leaves the conversation.
- Keep prompts short and specific, naming the paragraph to review.
- Save good prompts so the workflow is repeatable.
When Something Does Not Work
If the connector does not appear, confirm that developer mode is on and that your plan supports it. If sign-in fails, make sure the same browser is logged in to Phrasly. If the assistant does not call the tool, try naming it explicitly in the request, which usually resolves the confusion.
Most issues come down to one of these three causes, and each takes under a minute to check.
Pairing the Connector With Custom Instructions
ChatGPT supports custom instructions, which let a user describe their preferences once. Writers can use that space to state their usual tone, typical audience, and the habit of checking drafts with the connected detector before finalizing. That shortens each prompt and keeps the workflow consistent across conversations.
A concise instruction, such as asking the assistant to check any draft before presenting it as final, turns the connector into a routine step rather than something to remember.
Using It for Different Kinds of Documents
Different documents call for different levels of intervention. A quick internal email may only need a check. A client proposal may need a check and a light rewrite. A public blog post may deserve a check, a rewrite, and a careful human edit. The same connector supports all three, and the writer decides how much to use.
- Internal notes: a quick check is usually enough.
- Client documents: check, rewrite lightly, then read closely.
- Public content: check, rewrite, and add personal detail by hand.
- Sensitive material: consider keeping it out of external tools.
Keeping the Setup Tidy
Review connected apps occasionally and remove any you no longer use. A tidy list reduces confusion about which tool the assistant might call and keeps permissions aligned with what you actually need.
Troubleshooting Checklist
- Confirm that your plan supports developer mode and that it is switched on under Advanced.
- Check that the server address is typed exactly, without extra spaces.
- Make sure the authentication method is set to OAuth.
- Sign in to the same Phrasly account you intend to use.
- If a human check appears, complete it and return to the chat.
Working through these five items resolves the vast majority of setup problems, and each takes less than a minute.
Keeping Expectations Realistic
A connector adds convenience, not magic. It still depends on you to provide good source material, read the results critically, and add what only you can supply. Used that way, it removes friction from a familiar workflow without changing who is responsible for the final text.
Sharing the Setup With a Team
On ChatGPT plans for teams, individual members add and approve their own connections. A short internal guide, covering the steps, the address, and the troubleshooting checklist, helps colleagues get started quickly and avoids repeated questions. It also lets the team agree on what kinds of text are appropriate to send through external tools.
Revisiting that guide every few months keeps it accurate, since menu names and options in any app tend to change over time. A guide that is slightly out of date can be more frustrating than none at all.
If a colleague gets stuck, the quickest fix is often to walk through the setup together once. After that, most people are comfortable using the connector on their own.
A custom connector is a modest setup step with a practical payoff. Writers who already spend their day in ChatGPT can check and refine a draft without changing windows, while keeping full control over what is connected and when.
