How to Connect n8n to MySQL

Open the n8n editor, go to Credentials in the left sidebar, and click Add Credential. Search for MySQL and select it. Fill in the connection details: Host (the MySQL server hostname or IP address), Port (default 3306), Database (the database name), User, and Password. If your MySQL server requires SSL, enable the SSL toggle and provide the certificate files. Click Test to verify the connection, then save the credential.

Add a MySQL node to your workflow. In the node settings, select your MySQL credential from the Credential dropdown. Set the Operation to Execute Query. Write a SELECT query in the Query field. Each row from the result set becomes a separate n8n item, with column values accessible as JSON properties. You can reference these values in downstream nodes using expressions like {{ $json.column_name }}.

1-- Example SELECT query in the MySQL node
2SELECT id, email, created_at
3FROM users
4WHERE status = 'active'
5ORDER BY created_at DESC
6LIMIT 100;

When your query includes dynamic values from webhook data or previous nodes, never concatenate them directly into the SQL string. Use n8n's query parameters feature instead. In the MySQL node, enable the Query Parameters option and pass values as an array. Use ? placeholders in your SQL query where dynamic values should go. n8n passes these values safely to MySQL, preventing SQL injection attacks.

1-- Query with parameterized values (in the MySQL node Query field)
2SELECT * FROM orders
3WHERE customer_email = ?
4AND status = ?
5AND created_at > ?;
6
7-- Query Parameters (in the node's Query Parameters field, as expressions):
8-- Parameter 1: {{ $json.email }}
9-- Parameter 2: {{ $json.status }}
10-- Parameter 3: {{ $json.start_date }}

To write data to MySQL, set the MySQL node's Operation to Execute Query and write an INSERT statement. Use query parameters for the values to insert. If you are processing multiple items from a previous node, the MySQL node runs the query once per item by default. For bulk inserts, use a Code node to build a single multi-row INSERT statement for better performance.

1-- Single row INSERT with parameters
2INSERT INTO orders (customer_email, product_id, quantity, total)
3VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?);
4
5-- Query Parameters:
6-- {{ $json.email }}
7-- {{ $json.product_id }}
8-- {{ $json.quantity }}
9-- {{ $json.total }}

MySQL connections can fail due to network issues, incorrect credentials, or firewall rules. Configure error handling on the MySQL node by setting On Error to Continue (Using Error Output). This sends failed items to a separate error output branch where you can log the error, send notifications, or retry. Common errors include ECONNREFUSED (cannot reach the server), ER_ACCESS_DENIED_ERROR (wrong credentials), and ETIMEDOUT (firewall blocking the port).