Databases / MySQL
Natural language to SQL for MySQL
NLQueries is an open source natural language to SQL engine for MySQL. Ask a question in plain English, get SQL that is validated against your real MySQL schema before it runs, and see the answer. It works from the command line, as a Python library, and as an MCP server for Claude Desktop, Cursor and other AI assistants.
Connect MySQL and ask your first question
Install the package, register the connection once, build the knowledge base, and query. Passwords are prompted for interactively and stored in your OS keychain, never in a config file.
$ pip install "nlqueries-core[mysql]" $ nlqueries connect mysql --host localhost --database mydb --user alice --alias mysql-prod $ nlqueries process-history mysql-prod --annotate && nlqueries export-kb mysql-prod $ nlqueries query mysql-prod "how many orders were placed last month by first-time customers?"
How NL2SQL works on MySQL
Most text-to-SQL tools hand the LLM a schema dump and hope. NLQueries builds a YAML knowledge base from your MySQL schema and from real query history, in this case the Performance Schema table events_statements_summary_by_digest, so it learns which joins your team actually uses and what your columns mean. That knowledge base is what the model sees when it writes SQL.
Every generated statement is parsed and checked column-by-column against the live schema with sqlglot before execution, then run inside a read-only transaction with a statement timeout. Use nlqueries ask to see the SQL without executing it, or nlqueries query to run it. A semantic cache answers repeated questions without another LLM or database round-trip.
MySQL-specific details
MySQL commits implicitly around DDL and cannot roll back writes to MyISAM or MEMORY tables, so the read-only transaction NLQueries opens is not a substitute for a read-only grant. Give it a role that can only SELECT; the database hardening guide has the exact statements.
MariaDB is reached through the generic SQLAlchemy connector with a connection URL.
Full connector notes are in the connectors guide, and the read-only role to create is in database hardening. This connector covers MySQL 8, Amazon RDS for MySQL, Aurora MySQL and MariaDB.
Use it from Claude, Cursor or any MCP client
Run nlqueries mcp-server and point Claude Desktop, Cursor, or any Model Context Protocol client at it. The assistant can then query MySQL through the same validated pipeline, with OIDC authentication and per-tool authorization available for network transports. See MCP authentication.
Frequently asked questions
How does NLQueries turn a natural language question into SQL?
It retrieves the relevant tables, columns, relationships and past query patterns from a YAML knowledge base built from your schema and query history, asks an LLM for SQL with that context, validates the SQL against your real schema with sqlglot before it runs, and executes it inside a read-only transaction with a statement timeout.
Is the generated SQL safe to run against production?
Generated SQL is validated column-by-column against the live schema, executed read-only with a timeout, and can be previewed with nlqueries ask without touching the database. Pair that with a least-privilege database role and it is designed for production use.
Does NLQueries support MariaDB?
Yes, through the generic SQLAlchemy connector: pass a mariadb+pymysql connection URL to nlqueries connect sqlalchemy. The dedicated mysql connector is for MySQL itself.
Can Claude Desktop or Cursor query this database through NLQueries?
Yes. nlqueries mcp-server exposes the same pipeline as a Model Context Protocol server, so any MCP client can ask questions and get validated SQL results as a native tool call.
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