LABSCO SUMMARY

A question about the data gets answered against the data.

What it takes off you is the guesswork before the query: read the columns, look at a handful of real rows, then write SQL that matches what is actually stored rather than what the table name suggests. The same connection reaches every database on the server as long as you qualify the name.

What it is

Three calls over a MySQL connection: one runs a statement, two describe what is there. Naming a database is optional — leave MYSQL_DATABASE unset and every user database on the server is in reach through database.table notation.

What you get

A SQL statement executed against the server — SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, SHOW, DESCRIBE — one statement per call, with the writing ones marked destructive
Column metadata for one table or every table: names, types, nullability, defaults and comments
A sample of rows from a table, up to twenty, so the shape of the data is visible before the query is written
Cross-database access from the same connection, by naming database.table on any of the three calls
Two guided prompts your client can launch: explore_database walks the whole database, analyze_table digs into one and suggests queries
An SSH tunnel to a database that is not directly reachable, set up by the server itself through the MYSQL_SSH_ variables
TLS on the connection through MYSQL_SSL_MODE — REQUIRED, VERIFY_CA or VERIFY_IDENTITY
Stdio by default, or MCP_TRANSPORT=sse for a remote or containerised deployment

Requirements

uv, and MYSQL_HOST, MYSQL_USER and MYSQL_PASSWORD at minimum; MYSQL_PORT defaults to 3306 and MYSQL_DATABASE is optional. Put those values in the env block of your MCP client's config rather than a .env file — the client launches the server from its own working directory, so a project .env is not found and startup fails on missing configuration. Statements run one at a time, so a fully qualified name takes the place of a USE statement.

Setup effort

One command plus credentials — pip install mysql-mcp-server, then supply credentials

See installation options

USE CASES

01

Finding your way around a database nobody documented

Read the columns of the tables that look relevant, then pull a few real rows to see what the values actually look like.

get_schema_infoget_table_sample

02

Answering a question that needs a join you have not written yet

Check the column names and types on both tables first, then run the SELECT in the same conversation.

get_schema_infoexecute_sql

03

Querying across two databases on the same server

Qualify the names as database.table — no USE statement, and no second connection.

execute_sqlget_schema_info

04

Applying a data fix you have already agreed on

Run the UPDATE or DELETE directly, one statement per call, so each change is its own reviewable step.

execute_sql

05

Reaching a database behind a jump host

Turn on the SSH tunnel settings and the server opens the tunnel itself, instead of you keeping one alive in a terminal.

execute_sql

3 tools

Counted once with only startup setup. Other versions, modes or optional credentials may expose a different list.

`execute_sql`

Execute a SQL statement against the MySQL server. Use for SELECT, DML (INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE), SHOW, DESCRIBE, and ad-hoc queries. Supports cross-database queries using database.table notation. Single statements only — use fully qualified names instead of USE statements.

BEFORE YOU INSTALL

What to know first

Tools you get

3 tools when we connected. explore_database and analyze_table are prompts, not tools. execute_sql also runs INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE, so the server is not read-only; it executes one statement at a time, and omitting MYSQL_DATABASE enables multi-database mode.

Requires

uvx on PATH
MYSQL_HOST in your environment
MYSQL_USER in your environment
MYSQL_PASSWORD in your environment

CONTEXT COST

Light Standing cost

Rated by the size of the 3 tool definitions that ride along on every turn, not by how many there are

INSTALLATION

Connect your client

Server setup

TERMINAL

pip install mysql-mcp-server

MCP Clients

Claude Desktop

Clone the repository

CLAUDE DESKTOP · TERMINAL

git clone https://github.com/designcomputer/mysql_mcp_server.git

Add this to claude_desktop_config.json

<YOUR_PATH_TO_MYSQL_MCP_SERVER> is the absolute path to your clone, and put your MySQL host, user, password and database in env. Claude Desktop starts the server from its own working directory, so a .env file in the project is not found. Omit MYSQL_DATABASE for multi-database mode.

CLAUDE DESKTOP · JSON

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mysql": {
      "command": "uv",
      "args": [
        "--directory",
        "<YOUR_PATH_TO_MYSQL_MCP_SERVER>",
        "run",
        "mysql_mcp_server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MYSQL_HOST": "localhost",
        "MYSQL_PORT": "3306",
        "MYSQL_USER": "<YOUR_MYSQL_USER>",
        "MYSQL_PASSWORD": "<YOUR_MYSQL_PASSWORD>",
        "MYSQL_DATABASE": "<YOUR_MYSQL_DATABASE>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop — Smithery

CLAUDE DESKTOP — SMITHERY · TERMINAL

npx -y @smithery/cli install designcomputer/mysql-mcp-server --client claude

Claude Code

CLAUDE CODE · TERMINAL

claude mcp add --env MYSQL_HOST=localhost --env MYSQL_PORT=3306 --env MYSQL_USER=<YOUR_MYSQL_USER> --env MYSQL_PASSWORD=<YOUR_MYSQL_PASSWORD> --env MYSQL_DATABASE=<YOUR_MYSQL_DATABASE> --transport stdio designcomputer-mysql_mcp_server -- uvx mysql_mcp_server

Autohand Code CLI

AUTOHAND CODE CLI · TERMINAL

autohand mcp add mysql env MYSQL_HOST=localhost MYSQL_PORT=3306 MYSQL_USER=<YOUR_MYSQL_USER> MYSQL_PASSWORD=<YOUR_MYSQL_PASSWORD> MYSQL_DATABASE=<YOUR_MYSQL_DATABASE> uvx mysql_mcp_server

VS Code

VS CODE · JSON

{
  "servers": {
    "mysql": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from",
        "mysql-mcp-server",
        "mysql_mcp_server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "MYSQL_HOST": "localhost",
        "MYSQL_PORT": "3306",
        "MYSQL_USER": "<YOUR_MYSQL_USER>",
        "MYSQL_PASSWORD": "<YOUR_MYSQL_PASSWORD>",
        "MYSQL_DATABASE": "<YOUR_MYSQL_DATABASE>"
      }
    }
  }
}

MySQL MCP Server by designcomputer

A question about the data gets answered against the data.

What it is

What you get

Requirements

Setup effort

Finding your way around a database nobody documented

Answering a question that needs a join you have not written yet

Querying across two databases on the same server

Applying a data fix you have already agreed on

Reaching a database behind a jump host

3 tools

`execute_sql`

`get_schema_info`

`get_table_sample`

What to know first

Tools you get

Requires

Light Standing cost

Connect your client

Server setup

MCP Clients

Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop — Smithery

Claude Code

Autohand Code CLI

VS Code

MySQL MCP Server by designcomputer

A question about the data gets answered against the data.

What it is

What you get

Requirements

Setup effort

Finding your way around a database nobody documented

Answering a question that needs a join you have not written yet

Querying across two databases on the same server

Applying a data fix you have already agreed on

Reaching a database behind a jump host

3 tools

execute_sql

get_schema_info

get_table_sample

What to know first

Tools you get

Requires

Light Standing cost

Connect your client

Server setup

MCP Clients

Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop — Smithery

Claude Code

Autohand Code CLI

VS Code

Same category

BigQuery MCP Server by LucasHild

MCP Database Server by iPraBhu

Simple PostgreSQL MCP by perrypixel

ThinAir Data

`execute_sql`

`get_schema_info`

`get_table_sample`