MySQL MCP Server

MySQL MCP Server

Connect Claude to your MySQL database through the Model Context Protocol.

The MySQL MCP Server enables Claude to run queries, explore database schemas, and interact with your MySQL data using natural language commands.

What Can Claude Do with the MySQL MCP Server?

The MySQL MCP Server exposes MySQL database operations to Claude through the Model Context Protocol.

Core capabilities:

• Run Queries — Execute SELECT queries to retrieve data
• Explore Schemas — View table structures, column types, and relationships
• List Databases & Tables — Browse available databases and table names
• Inspect Data — Preview table contents and row samples
• Execute Statements — Run INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE operations (if permitted)

Access scope: Claude can only perform operations your MySQL user credentials allow. The integration respects MySQL user permissions, database access, and privilege grants.

How to Install the MySQL MCP Server

Installation requires MySQL connection credentials.

Important: the mysql-mcp-server package commonly used in examples is a community package, not an official MySQL product.

For Claude Code

If you choose that community package, install it explicitly as a community implementation and review the repository before using it against production data.

claude mcp add mysql npx -y mysql-mcp-server

For Claude Desktop

Add the server to your claude_desktop_config.json file with your MySQL connection details:

Configuration file locations:

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

Typical configuration structure:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mysql": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mysql-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "MYSQL_HOST": "localhost",
        "MYSQL_PORT": "3306",
        "MYSQL_USER": "your_username",
        "MYSQL_PASSWORD": "your_password",
        "MYSQL_DATABASE": "your_database_name"
      }
    }
  }
}

Use the package README as the source of truth for required environment variables, and keep the "community package" status clear in internal documentation.

Alternative connection string format:

Some implementations may support a single connection string:

"env": {
  "MYSQL_CONNECTION_STRING": "mysql://username:password@localhost:3306/database_name"
}

Important security notes:

• Never commit database credentials to version control
• Use read-only database users for querying only
• Consider creating dedicated MySQL users with minimal necessary privileges
• For production databases, use extremely restricted permissions

Restart Claude Desktop after saving the configuration file.

MySQL Connection String Setup for MCP

The MySQL MCP Server requires database connection credentials.

Connection parameters:

• MYSQL_HOST — Database server hostname or IP address (e.g., localhost, db.example.com)
• MYSQL_PORT — MySQL port number (default: 3306)
• MYSQL_USER — MySQL username for authentication
• MYSQL_PASSWORD — User password
• MYSQL_DATABASE — Default database to connect to

Creating a dedicated MySQL user:

For security, create a dedicated user for the MCP Server:

-- Create read-only user
CREATE USER 'claude_readonly'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'secure_password';
GRANT SELECT ON your_database.* TO 'claude_readonly'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

-- Create read-write user (use cautiously)
CREATE USER 'claude_readwrite'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'secure_password';
GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE ON your_database.* TO 'claude_readwrite'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Permission levels:

• Read-only (SELECT only) — Recommended for most use cases. Claude can query but not modify data.
• Read-write (SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE) — Use only when modification is necessary. Monitor usage carefully.
• Full privileges (including DROP, CREATE) — Not recommended. Risk of accidental data loss or schema changes.

Connection security:

• Use SSL/TLS connections for remote databases
• Whitelist IP addresses in MySQL firewall rules
• Use strong passwords for database users
• Rotate credentials periodically
• Monitor database access logs

Testing the connection:

After configuration, verify the connection works:

-- Test query to verify access
SELECT DATABASE(), USER(), VERSION();

MySQL MCP Query Examples & Use Cases

Example workflows that become possible with the MySQL MCP Server.

Explore Database Schema

Example prompt:

> "Show me all tables in the database and their column structures."

Claude can retrieve schema information and table definitions.

Query Table Data

Example prompt:

> "Select all customers from the customers table where country is 'USA' and created_at is within the last 30 days."

Claude can run SELECT queries based on your natural language description.

Count Records

Example prompt:

> "How many orders are in the orders table with status 'completed'?"

Claude can perform aggregation queries.

Join Multiple Tables

Example prompt:

> "Show me customer names and their order totals by joining the customers and orders tables."

Claude can construct JOIN queries across related tables.

Preview Table Contents

Example prompt:

> "Show me the first 10 rows from the products table."

Claude can sample table data for inspection.

Search by Criteria

Example prompt:

> "Find all users with email addresses ending in '@company.com'."

Claude can build WHERE clauses based on search criteria.

Insert New Records

Example prompt:

> "Add a new record to the tasks table with title 'Review documentation' and status 'pending'."

Claude can execute INSERT statements if your user has write permissions.

Important security note: Write operations (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE) should be used with extreme caution. Always verify queries before execution on production databases.

Note: These are example use cases. Actual capabilities depend on your MySQL user permissions and the MCP server implementation. Schema exploration and SELECT queries are typically the safest operations.

Use MySQL MCP in Verdent

Verdent provides streamlined MySQL integration with secure credential management. This is Verdent's platform-level integration flow, not the default setup path from MySQL MCP implementations.

Connect your MySQL database once with encrypted credentials and access query capabilities across all Verdent projects without storing passwords in plain text configuration files.

Connect MySQL in Verdent