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

# MySQL

> How to configure MySQL as a destination in Mage to write pipeline data to a MySQL table with optional SSH tunneling and connection parameters.

![MySQL logo](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/78053898/198754276-a4524211-aafa-40b2-a95a-1d8f08ba6835.png)

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## Overview

Use **MySQL** as a destination in Mage to write pipeline data into structured tables within a MySQL database. This integration supports both direct connections and **SSH tunneling** for secure access to remote or private databases.

Each record from the Mage pipeline is inserted as a row in the configured table. Mage supports optional connection customization and SSL settings through connection keyword arguments.

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## Configuration Parameters

You must provide the following parameters when configuring the MySQL destination:

| Key                 | Description                                                                                                                                                  | Example Value                          | Required |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------- | -------- |
| `database`          | Name of the MySQL database where data will be written.                                                                                                       | `demo`                                 | ✅        |
| `host`              | Hostname or IP address of the MySQL server.                                                                                                                  | `mage.abc.us-west-2.rds.amazonaws.com` | ✅        |
| `port`              | Port number used by MySQL (typically `3306`).                                                                                                                | `3306`                                 | ✅        |
| `username`          | Username with permission to access the database and target schema.                                                                                           | `root`                                 | ✅        |
| `password`          | Password for the MySQL user.                                                                                                                                 | `abc123...`                            | ✅        |
| `table`             | Name of the destination table that Mage will write to.                                                                                                       | `dim_users_v1`                         | ✅        |
| `connection_method` | Method used to connect to the MySQL server: `direct` or `ssh_tunnel`.                                                                                        | `direct` or `ssh_tunnel`               | ✅        |
| `ssh_host`          | *(Optional)* Host of the bastion or jump server for SSH tunnel access.                                                                                       | `123.45.67.89`                         | ❌        |
| `ssh_port`          | *(Optional)* SSH port on the bastion host. Default is `22`.                                                                                                  | `22`                                   | ❌        |
| `ssh_username`      | *(Optional)* SSH username for authentication.                                                                                                                | `username`                             | ❌        |
| `ssh_password`      | *(Optional)* SSH password. Required if not using a private key.                                                                                              | `password`                             | ❌        |
| `ssh_pkey`          | *(Optional)* Path to or content of the private key file used for SSH authentication.                                                                         | `/path/to/private/key.pem`             | ❌        |
| `conn_kwargs`       | *(Optional)* Additional [MySQL connection parameters](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/connector-python/en/connector-python-connectargs.html) in dictionary format. | `{"ssl_ca": "CARoot.pem"}`             | ❌        |
| `use_lowercase`     | *(Optional)* Whether to convert all column names to lowercase.                                                                                               | `true` or `false`                      | ❌        |

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## Optional Configs

| Key                    | Description                                                                                                                                                               | Example Value |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------- |
| `skip_schema_creation` | If `true`, Mage will skip running the `CREATE SCHEMA` command. Useful when the schema already exists. [See related issue](https://github.com/mage-ai/mage-ai/issues/3416) | `true`        |
| `lower_case`           | If `true`, all column names will be forced to lowercase. Default is `true`.                                                                                               | `true`        |

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## Notes

* For cloud-hosted MySQL (e.g., Amazon RDS, Azure Database for MySQL), ensure proper firewall rules and access control.
* Use `ssh_tunnel` mode when connecting to databases hosted in private networks or VPCs.
* The `conn_kwargs` parameter is useful for enabling SSL/TLS and advanced options (e.g., `ssl_ca`, `ssl_cert`, `connect_timeout`).
* Mage automatically creates the destination table unless `skip_schema_creation` is set to `true`.

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## Related Resources

* [MySQL Documentation](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/)
* [MySQL Connector/Python Connect Arguments](https://dev.mysql.com/doc/connector-python/en/connector-python-connectargs.html)
* [SSH Tunneling Explained](https://www.ssh.com/academy/ssh/tunneling)