MySQL MCP Server

The MySQL MCP Server connects Claude and other MCP-compatible agents directly to a MySQL or MariaDB database. Ask natural-language questions, run SQL queries, explore table schemas, and iterate on results — without leaving your AI chat session. Supports both read and write operations depending on your database user's privileges.

Installation & Configuration

Add this block to your claude_desktop_config.json (or your agent framework's MCP config file):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mysql": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@benborla29/mcp-server-mysql"],
      "env": {
        "MYSQL_HOST": "127.0.0.1",
        "MYSQL_PORT": "3306",
        "MYSQL_USER": "your_user",
        "MYSQL_PASS": "your_password",
        "MYSQL_DB": "your_database"
      }
    }
  }
}

Config file location:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Creating a read-only MySQL user (recommended):

CREATE USER 'mcp_ro'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'strong_password';
GRANT SELECT ON your_database.* TO 'mcp_ro'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Available Tools (4)

• query
• execute
• list_tables
• describe_table

Use Cases

• Natural-language analytics — ask "how many users signed up last week?" and get real SQL results
• Schema exploration — have Claude explain an unfamiliar database schema in plain English
• Data debugging — quickly inspect rows and columns while debugging application issues
• Query generation — let Claude write and iterate on complex JOINs or aggregations for you

Gotchas

• MYSQL_HOST must be an IP, not localhost: On some systems localhost resolves to a Unix socket, which Node.js mysql2 handles differently. Use 127.0.0.1 to force TCP if you see connection errors.
• Port must be a string: The MYSQL_PORT env var is parsed as a string in the config JSON — passing an integer literal causes a type error in some MCP hosts.
• The execute tool runs writes: Unlike query, execute will happily run DELETE or DROP statements. If you're using a write-enabled user, be explicit in your prompt about what you want.
• Remote databases need firewall rules: If your MySQL instance is not on localhost, ensure the MCP host IP is whitelisted in MySQL's bind-address and any network firewall rules.

Security Note

Source & Documentation