A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables Claude Desktop to interact with MySQL databases through natural language queries.
- 🔍 Execute read-only SQL queries through Claude Desktop
- 🛡️ Built-in security with query validation (only SELECT statements allowed)
- 🔌 Easy integration with Claude Desktop
- 📊 JSON formatted query results
- 🔐 Environment-based configuration for database credentials
claude mcp add mysql -s user -- npx -y @hovecapital/read-only-mysql-mcp-serverThen set your database environment variables:
export DB_HOST=localhost
export DB_PORT=3306
export DB_DATABASE=your_database_name
export DB_USERNAME=your_username
export DB_PASSWORD=your_passwordDone! Restart Claude Code and ask: "What tables are in my database?"
1. Open your config file:
# macOS
open ~/Library/Application\ Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
# Windows
notepad %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json2. Add this configuration:
{
"mcpServers": {
"mysql": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@hovecapital/read-only-mysql-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"DB_HOST": "localhost",
"DB_PORT": "3306",
"DB_DATABASE": "your_database_name",
"DB_USERNAME": "your_username",
"DB_PASSWORD": "your_password"
}
}
}
}3. Save, restart Claude Desktop, and test!
- Node.js (v16 or higher) - If using mise, update the command path accordingly
- MySQL database server
- Claude Desktop application
This server is published in the Model Context Protocol Registry as capital.hove/read-only-local-mysql-mcp-server.
claude mcp add mysql -s user -- npx -y @hovecapital/read-only-mysql-mcp-serverThen configure your database credentials using environment variables. Restart Claude Code and you're done!
Benefits:
- One command installation
- No manual JSON editing
- Automatic configuration
For Claude Desktop:
Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):
{
"mcpServers": {
"mysql": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@hovecapital/read-only-mysql-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"DB_HOST": "localhost",
"DB_PORT": "3306",
"DB_DATABASE": "your_database_name",
"DB_USERNAME": "your_username",
"DB_PASSWORD": "your_password"
}
}
}
}For Claude Code:
Edit ~/.config/claude-code/settings.json (macOS/Linux) or %APPDATA%\claude-code\settings.json (Windows):
{
"mcp": {
"servers": {
"mysql": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@hovecapital/read-only-mysql-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"DB_HOST": "localhost",
"DB_PORT": "3306",
"DB_DATABASE": "your_database_name",
"DB_USERNAME": "your_username",
"DB_PASSWORD": "your_password"
}
}
}
}
}npm install -g @hovecapital/read-only-mysql-mcp-serverIf you're using Claude Code, you can easily install this MCP server:
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/hovecapital/read-only-local-mysql-mcp-server.git
cd read-only-local-mysql-mcp-server
# Install dependencies and build
npm install
npm run buildThen configure Claude Code by adding to your MCP settings.
Save the repository to a directory on your system:
mkdir ~/mcp-servers/mysql
cd ~/mcp-servers/mysql
git clone https://github.com/hovecapital/read-only-local-mysql-mcp-server.git .npm install
npm run buildNote: If you installed via Option 1 (MCP Registry with npx), you've already configured everything! This section is for users who chose Options 2, 3, or 4 (npm or manual installation).
If you're using Claude Code with a manual installation, add the MySQL server to your MCP settings:
-
Open your Claude Code settings (typically in
~/.config/claude-code/settings.jsonon macOS/Linux or%APPDATA%\claude-code\settings.jsonon Windows) -
Add the MySQL MCP server configuration:
{
"mcp": {
"servers": {
"mysql": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/read-only-local-mysql-mcp-server/dist/index.js"],
"env": {
"DB_HOST": "localhost",
"DB_PORT": "3306",
"DB_DATABASE": "your_database_name",
"DB_USERNAME": "your_username",
"DB_PASSWORD": "your_password"
}
}
}
}
}- Restart Claude Code for the changes to take effect.
If you're using Claude Desktop with a manual installation, open your Claude Desktop configuration file:
macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonWindows:
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.jsonAdd the MySQL server configuration:
{
"mcpServers": {
"mysql": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/read-only-local-mysql-mcp-server/dist/index.js"],
"env": {
"DB_HOST": "localhost",
"DB_PORT": "3306",
"DB_DATABASE": "your_database_name",
"DB_USERNAME": "your_username",
"DB_PASSWORD": "your_password"
}
}
}
}If you're using mise for Node.js version management, make sure to use the full path to the Node.js executable in your configuration.
| Variable | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
DB_HOST |
MySQL server hostname | mysql |
DB_PORT |
MySQL server port | 3306 |
DB_DATABASE |
Database name | database |
DB_USERNAME |
MySQL username | root |
DB_PASSWORD |
MySQL password | (empty) |
- Restart Claude Desktop after updating the configuration
- Start chatting with Claude about your database
"Show me all tables in my database"
"What's the structure of the users table?"
"Get the first 10 records from the products table"
"How many orders were placed last month?"
"Show me users with email addresses ending in @gmail.com"Claude will automatically convert your natural language requests into appropriate SQL queries and execute them against your database.
The server only allows SELECT queries. The following operations are blocked:
INSERT- Adding new recordsUPDATE- Modifying existing recordsDELETE- Removing recordsDROP- Removing tables/databasesALTER- Modifying table structureCREATE- Creating new tables/databases
For enhanced security, create a dedicated read-only user for the MCP server:
-- Create a read-only user
CREATE USER 'claude_readonly'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'secure_password';
-- Grant only SELECT permissions on your specific database
GRANT SELECT ON your_database_name.* TO 'claude_readonly'@'localhost';
-- Apply the changes
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;- Verify MySQL is running: Check if your MySQL server is active
- Check credentials: Ensure username/password are correct
- Network connectivity: Confirm Claude Desktop can reach your MySQL server
- Restart required: Always restart Claude Desktop after configuration changes
- Path accuracy: Ensure the absolute path to
dist/index.jsis correct - JSON syntax: Validate your
claude_desktop_config.jsonformat
To see server logs, you can run the server manually:
node dist/index.js~/mcp-servers/mysql/
├── src/
│ └── index.ts
├── dist/
│ ├── index.js
│ └── index.d.ts
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── node_modules/- @modelcontextprotocol/sdk: MCP protocol implementation
- mysql2: Modern MySQL client for Node.js with Promise support
Feel free to submit issues and enhancement requests!
This project is open source and available under the MIT License.
If you encounter issues:
- Check the troubleshooting section above
- Verify your MySQL connection independently
- Ensure Claude Desktop is updated to the latest version
- Review the Claude Desktop MCP documentation
Note: This server is designed for development and analysis purposes. For production use, consider additional security measures and monitoring.