> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.querybear.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# MySQL + Cursor

> How to set up a secure MySQL MCP server for Cursor using QueryBear. Drop into .cursor/mcp.json. Step-by-step with read-only user and example queries.

This guide walks through connecting **MySQL** (or MariaDB) to **[Cursor](https://cursor.com)** using QueryBear's managed MCP server. End result: Cursor's chat and composer can query your MySQL database while you code.

## What you'll need

* A QueryBear account ([sign up free](https://querybear.com/signup))
* A MySQL or MariaDB database (5.7+ / 10.x+)
* Cursor with MCP support

## Step 1: Create a read-only MySQL user

```sql theme={null}
CREATE USER 'querybear'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY 'choose-a-strong-one';
GRANT SELECT ON your_db.* TO 'querybear'@'%';
GRANT SHOW VIEW ON your_db.* TO 'querybear'@'%';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
```

## Step 2: Add the connection to QueryBear

[Dashboard](https://querybear.com/dashboard) → **Connections** → **New connection** → **MySQL**, with the credentials from Step 1.

## Step 3: Add QueryBear to Cursor

`.cursor/mcp.json` in your project root (or `~/.cursor/mcp.json` globally):

```json theme={null}
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "querybear": {
      "url": "https://mcp.querybear.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
```

## Step 4: Authorize and verify

Open Cursor. First QueryBear tool call triggers OAuth in browser.

In chat:

> *"What QueryBear tools do you have? List my connections."*

## Try it

> *"I'm adding a unique constraint on `users.email`. Check production for duplicate emails first."*

Cursor calls `get_schema` for `users`, writes `SELECT email, COUNT(*) FROM users GROUP BY email HAVING COUNT(*) > 1`, and runs it through QueryBear.

## MySQL + Cursor gotchas

* **`.cursor/mcp.json` is project-scoped** — keep different DBs for different projects.
* **Cursor's built-in MySQL support is separate from MCP** — both can coexist.
* **Cursor caches MCP server status** — restart Cursor after editing config.
* **For PlanetScale**, the TLS-mandatory connection string from their dashboard works as-is.
* **Multi-statement queries are blocked** — even if Cursor writes one.

## Related

* [MySQL MCP server](/databases/mysql) — MySQL-specific deep dive
* [Cursor client](/clients/cursor) — Cursor overview
* [Security model](/features/security) — what the gateway protects against