MCP Server for MySQL
Read-only (optionally write) access to MySQL databases for LLMs — inspect schemas and run SQL queries.
Add to your client
Copy the config for your MCP client and paste it into its config file.
npm install -g @benborla29/mcp-server-mysqlPaste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-server-for-mysql": {
"command": "/path/to/npx/binary/npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@benborla29/mcp-server-mysql"
],
"env": {
"MYSQL_HOST": "127.0.0.1",
"MYSQL_PORT": "3306",
"MYSQL_USER": "root",
"MYSQL_PASS": "",
"MYSQL_DB": "db_name",
"PATH": "/path/to/node/bin:/usr/bin:/bin",
"ALLOW_INSERT_OPERATION": "false",
"ALLOW_UPDATE_OPERATION": "false",
"ALLOW_DELETE_OPERATION": "false"
}
}
}
}Step-by-step guides: Add to Claude Desktop · Add to Cursor · Add to Windsurf
Before you start
- Node.js v20 or higher
- MySQL 5.7 or higher (MySQL 8.0+ recommended)
- A MySQL user with appropriate permissions for the operations you need (INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE privileges required for write operations)
About MCP Server for MySQL
MCP Server for MySQL connects Claude and other LLMs to MySQL databases over the Model Context Protocol. It exposes a mysql_query tool (read-only by default) and table-schema resources, with opt-in write/DDL operations, prepared statements, connection pooling, query caching, rate limiting, SSL/TLS and mTLS support, multi-database mode, schema-specific permissions, and an optional remote streamable HTTP transport.
Tools & capabilities (1)
mysql_queryExecute a SQL query against the connected database. Input: sql (string). Read-only by default; INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE require the corresponding ALLOW_*_OPERATION flag. Runs within a transaction with commit/rollback handling, supports prepared statements, configurable timeouts, result pagination, and built-in execution statistics.
What this server can do
MCP Server for MySQL provides tools for these capabilities — tap one to see every MCP server that does the same:
When to use it
- Letting an LLM inspect a MySQL database schema (tables, columns, indexes, foreign keys) before writing queries
- Running ad-hoc read-only analytical SQL queries against application data
- Safely exploring production data with write operations disabled and rate limiting enforced
- Querying across multiple databases the MySQL user can access via multi-DB mode
- Granting controlled write/DDL access per schema (e.g. read-write on dev/test, read-only on production)
Security notes
All write operations are disabled by default; enable INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE/DDL only via the ALLOW_*_OPERATION env flags and only with a MySQL user holding the corresponding privileges. MYSQL_DISABLE_READ_ONLY_TRANSACTIONS removes read-only transaction enforcement — only enable for full write capability when you trust the LLM with your database. For credentials, use local or user scope to keep them private; the MYSQL_CONNECTION_STRING should only be set via environment variables, never committed to version control. Remote MCP mode requires a strong REMOTE_SECRET_KEY (sent as an Authorization: Bearer header).
MCP Server for MySQL FAQ
Is the server read-only by default?
Yes. Only read operations are allowed unless you explicitly set ALLOW_INSERT_OPERATION, ALLOW_UPDATE_OPERATION, ALLOW_DELETE_OPERATION, or ALLOW_DDL_OPERATION to "true" (and ensure the MySQL user has the matching privileges).
How do I enable multi-database mode?
Leave the MYSQL_DB environment variable empty. Queries then require schema-qualified table names (e.g. database_name.table_name) or USE statements. Writes in multi-DB mode additionally require MULTI_DB_WRITE_MODE=true.
Can it run as a remote server instead of stdio?
Yes. Set IS_REMOTE_MCP=true and a REMOTE_SECRET_KEY, optionally a PORT (default 3000), then point your agent at http://your-host:3000/mcp using the streamableHttp transport with an Authorization: Bearer <REMOTE_SECRET_KEY> header.
It can't find the MCP server / Node binary. What do I do?
Explicitly set the PATH (and NODE_PATH for local installs) in the env block. Find them with `echo "$(which node)/../"` for PATH and `echo "$(which node)/../../lib/node_modules"` for NODE_PATH.
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