MySQL Read-Only MCP Server

MySQL Read-Only MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides secure, read-only access to a single MySQL database. It is designed for MCP-compatible clients that need to inspect schema details, preview table data, and run analytical queries without allowing data or schema changes.

Overview

• Read-only query execution for MySQL
• Single database configuration per server instance
• Built-in query validation and row limits
• Schema inspection and relationship discovery tools
• Compatible with MCP clients such as Claude Desktop and editor integrations

Installation

Run with npx

npx -y mysql-readonly-mcp

Prefer npx or a globally installed binary in MCP client configuration. Do not point MCP clients to a cloned repository checkout such as .../mysql-readonly-mcp/dist/index.js, because some clients and agents may treat that checkout as part of the active workspace.

Global installation

npm install -g mysql-readonly-mcp
mysql-readonly-mcp

Configuration

The server reads its connection settings from environment variables.

Variable	Description	Default
MYSQL_HOST	MySQL host	localhost
MYSQL_PORT	MySQL port	3306
MYSQL_USER	MySQL user	root
MYSQL_PASSWORD	MySQL password	empty
MYSQL_DATABASE	Database name	mysql
MYSQL_QUERY_TIMEOUT_MS	Query execution timeout in milliseconds (minimum 1000)	30000

Each server instance connects to one database. To work with multiple databases, configure multiple MCP server entries and point each one to a different MYSQL_DATABASE value.

Client setup

Claude Desktop

Configuration file locations:

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mysql-production": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mysql-readonly-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "MYSQL_HOST": "localhost",
        "MYSQL_PORT": "3306",
        "MYSQL_USER": "readonly_user",
        "MYSQL_PASSWORD": "your-password",
        "MYSQL_DATABASE": "production_db"
      }
    }
  }
}

Generic MCP configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mysql": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mysql-readonly-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "MYSQL_HOST": "localhost",
        "MYSQL_PORT": "3306",
        "MYSQL_USER": "root",
        "MYSQL_PASSWORD": "password",
        "MYSQL_DATABASE": "app_db"
      }
    }
  }
}

This is the recommended setup for editor and assistant clients because it keeps the MCP server isolated from the repository source tree.

Multiple database connections

Use separate MCP server entries when you need access to more than one database.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mysql-production": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mysql-readonly-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "MYSQL_HOST": "prod-db.example.com",
        "MYSQL_USER": "readonly_user",
        "MYSQL_PASSWORD": "your-password",
        "MYSQL_DATABASE": "production"
      }
    },
    "mysql-staging": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mysql-readonly-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "MYSQL_HOST": "staging-db.example.com",
        "MYSQL_USER": "readonly_user",
        "MYSQL_PASSWORD": "your-password",
        "MYSQL_DATABASE": "staging"
      }
    }
  }
}

Available tools

Tool	Purpose	Parameters
list_tables	List tables and views with metadata	None
describe_table	Describe table columns, keys, and indexes	table
preview_data	Preview rows from a table	table, columns, limit, where
run_query	Execute validated read-only SQL	query, limit
show_relations	Show incoming and outgoing foreign key relations	table
db_stats	Summarize database size and largest tables	None
db_info	Show which database this server instance is connected to	None

Tool details

list_tables

Returns table name, table type, row count estimate, and storage engine for the configured database.

describe_table

Returns:

• Column definitions
• Primary key columns
• Foreign key relationships
• Index information

preview_data

Parameters:

• table (required)
• columns (optional)
• limit (optional, default 10, max 100)
• where (optional basic filter expression, without the WHERE keyword)

For complex filtering, joins, unions, or advanced SQL expressions, use run_query instead of preview_data.

run_query

Accepted statements:

• SELECT
• SHOW
• DESCRIBE
• EXPLAIN

Rejected statements include data modification, schema modification, and permission-changing queries such as INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, DROP, ALTER, CREATE, GRANT, REVOKE, and LOCK.

show_relations

Returns:

• Tables that reference the target table
• Tables referenced by the target table
• Relationship type when it can be inferred

db_stats

Returns:

• Total table count
• Estimated total row count
• Total database size
• Largest tables by row count
• Largest tables by size

db_info

Returns the connection details for this server instance: database name, host, port, user, and active query timeout. Useful when multiple MCP server instances are configured and you need to confirm which one you are addressing. The password is never included in the output.

Prompts

The server exposes a connection_info prompt for MCP clients that support prompts. When retrieved, it provides a summary of the database this server connects to and a reminder that the server is scoped to that single database. This helps LLM clients avoid routing queries to the wrong server instance.

Security model

The server is intended for inspection and analysis, not for write operations.

• Query validation blocks non-read-only statements
• Preview queries are capped at 100 rows
• Custom queries are capped at 5000 rows
• Query execution timeout defaults to 30 seconds and is configurable via MYSQL_QUERY_TIMEOUT_MS
• Sensitive credentials are sanitized in error messages

Troubleshooting

Connection refused

• Confirm that MySQL is running
• Confirm that MYSQL_HOST and MYSQL_PORT are correct
• Confirm that network access to the MySQL server is allowed

Access denied

• Confirm that MYSQL_USER and MYSQL_PASSWORD are correct
• Confirm that the user has read access to the configured database
• Confirm that the MySQL user is allowed to connect from the current host

Query rejected

• Confirm that the query is read-only
• Use only SELECT, SHOW, DESCRIBE, or EXPLAIN

License

MIT. See LICENSE for details.

Links

• npm: https://www.npmjs.com/package/mysql-readonly-mcp
• Repository: https://github.com/beydemirfurkan/mysql-readonly-mcp
• Issues: https://github.com/beydemirfurkan/mysql-readonly-mcp/issues