How to Connect MySQL to Claude Desktop Using Sequel

MySQL is the database behind countless web applications. Claude Desktop gives you a conversational AI interface on your desktop. Connect them through Sequel's MCP server and you just type your question and get an answer.

What You'll Accomplish

After this setup, you'll be able to ask in Claude Desktop:

• "How many orders were placed this week?"
• "Which customers have the highest lifetime value?"
• "Show me all products with fewer than 10 units in stock."

Prerequisites

• A Sequel account: Sign up free at sequel.sh
• A running MySQL database: local or cloud-hosted
• Claude Desktop installed: download from claude.ai/download

Step 1: Connect Your MySQL Database to Sequel

Sign in to sequel.sh and click Data Sources in the left sidebar.

Click New Connection. On the "Choose a connector" page, select MySQL.

Fill in two fields:

• Connection Name: a memorable label, e.g. Production MySQL
• Connection String: your full MySQL connection string:

mysql://username:password@host:3306/database_name

Click Connect to verify and save.

Tip: Create a read-only MySQL user first:

CREATE USER 'sequel_reader'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY 'strong_password';
GRANT SELECT ON myapp.* TO 'sequel_reader'@'%';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Step 2: Get Your Sequel API Key

Click Settings in the left sidebar, then select API Keys from the settings navigation.

Click New key, name it claude-desktop, and copy it. It starts with sql_.

Step 3: Configure Claude Desktop

Open or create the Claude Desktop config file:

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

Add the Sequel MCP server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sequel": {
      "url": "https://api.sequel.sh/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer sql_your_api_key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace sql_your_api_key with the key from Step 2. Restart Claude Desktop after saving.

Step 4: Query Your MySQL Database

Start a conversation in Claude Desktop:

How many new user registrations happened this month compared to last month?

Which product categories generate the most revenue?

Are there any orders that have been in 'processing' status for more than 7 days?

What You Can Do Now

• Answer one-off business questions instantly: no Looker, no spreadsheet, no waiting for an analyst
• Audit your data: ask "Are there duplicate phone numbers in the customers table?"
• Generate reports in plain English: ask "Give me a summary of this month's sales performance"
• Explore schemas you're not familiar with: useful when onboarding to a new project or reviewing inherited code