> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://vexidata.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# MySQL
> Connect your MySQL database to VexiData.
If you're using a managed MySQL service, check our provider-specific guides for step-by-step instructions tailored to your platform:
## Prerequisites
* A MySQL database (version 5.7 or later recommended) that is accessible over the network
* The database host, port, name, username, and password
* A [VexiData](https://vexidata.com) account
## Connect MySQL to VexiData
You need five pieces of information to connect. If you set up MySQL yourself, you'll already know these. If someone else manages the database, ask your database administrator.
| Parameter | Description | Default |
| ------------ | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------- |
| **Host** | The hostname or IP address of your MySQL server | `localhost` |
| **Port** | The port MySQL is listening on | `3306` |
| **Database** | The name of the database you want to query | — |
| **Username** | A MySQL user with access to the database | `root` |
| **Password** | The password for that user | — |
If your MySQL server is behind a firewall or only accepts connections from specific IPs, add VexiData's IP addresses:
* `46.101.71.122`
**Common places to configure this:**
* **Cloud VMs** (AWS EC2, DigitalOcean Droplets, GCP Compute) — Security Groups or firewall rules
* **Self-hosted servers** — Your OS firewall (e.g., `ufw`, `iptables`)
* **Managed databases** — See the provider-specific guides linked above
If your database is only accessible from `localhost` or a private network, you'll need to either expose it to the internet or set up an SSH tunnel. VexiData requires a direct TCP connection to your database.
By default, MySQL may only listen on `localhost`. If your database is on a remote server, make sure it's configured to accept external connections:
1. In your MySQL configuration file (`my.cnf` or `my.ini`), set:
```ini theme={null}
[mysqld]
bind-address = 0.0.0.0
```
2. Restart MySQL for the change to take effect.
3. Verify your MySQL user is allowed to connect from remote hosts. Users created with `'localhost'` can only connect locally:
```sql theme={null}
-- Check if your user allows remote connections
SELECT user, host FROM mysql.user WHERE user = 'your_username';
```
If the `host` column shows `localhost` or `127.0.0.1`, you'll need to create a user that allows remote access (see the read-only user section below).
Managed database services (AWS RDS, PlanetScale, etc.) handle this automatically. You only need this step for self-hosted MySQL.
1. Go to [Data Sources](https://vexidata.com/data-sources) in VexiData
2. Click **MySQL** to open the connection form
3. Fill in the details:
| Field | Value |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Display Name** | A name to identify this connection (e.g., "Production DB") |
| **Host** | Your server's hostname or IP address |
| **Port** | `3306` (or your custom port) |
| **Database** | Your database name |
| **Username** | Your MySQL username |
| **Password** | Your MySQL password |
Click **Test & Save Connection**. VexiData will verify it can reach your database. Once connected, your schema will be analyzed automatically.
## Creating a read-only user (recommended)
For security, we recommend connecting VexiData with a dedicated read-only user instead of your admin or application user. This ensures VexiData can only read data, never modify it.
```sql theme={null}
-- Create the user (% allows connections from any host)
CREATE USER 'vexidata'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY 'your-secure-password';
-- Grant read-only access to your database
GRANT SELECT ON your_database.* TO 'vexidata'@'%';
-- Apply the changes
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
```
To restrict access to specific tables instead of the entire database:
```sql theme={null}
GRANT SELECT ON your_database.orders TO 'vexidata'@'%';
GRANT SELECT ON your_database.customers TO 'vexidata'@'%';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
```
## Troubleshooting
This means VexiData can't reach your server. Check:
* Your firewall allows inbound connections on port `3306` from VexiData's IPs
* `bind-address` in your MySQL config is set to `0.0.0.0` (not `127.0.0.1`)
* Your server has a public IP or hostname that resolves correctly
* If on a cloud VM, the Security Group / firewall rules allow traffic on port `3306`
* Verify the username and password are correct
* Check that the MySQL user allows connections from remote hosts. Run `SELECT user, host FROM mysql.user;` to see allowed hosts — if it shows `localhost`, the user can't connect remotely
* Create a user with `'%'` as the host to allow connections from any IP: `CREATE USER 'user'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';`
* The MySQL user might not have permissions on the specified database. Grant access with: `GRANT SELECT ON your_database.* TO 'user'@'%';`
* Run `SHOW GRANTS FOR 'your_user'@'%';` to verify current permissions
* Check that your user has `SELECT` permissions on the tables in the database
* Verify you entered the correct database name — MySQL database names are case-sensitive on Linux
* Run `SHOW TABLES;` in the MySQL CLI to confirm tables exist in the database
* If your server requires SSL, VexiData will attempt SSL automatically
* For self-hosted servers, ensure MySQL SSL is properly configured with valid certificates
* Check that `require_secure_transport` is set correctly in your MySQL config