---
title: MySQL table function
meta:
    description: Documentation for the Tinybird MySQL table function.
---

# MySQL table function {% pill text="BETA" type="easy" /%}

{% callout type="caution" %}
The Tinybird `mysql()` table function is currently in private beta. If you're interested in early access, reach out to support.
{% /callout %}

The Tinybird `mysql()` table function allows you to read data from your existing MySQL database into Tinybird, then schedule a regular copy pipe to orchestrate synchronization. You can load full tables, and every run performs a full replace on the data source.

To use it, define a node using standard SQL and the `mysql` function keyword, then publish the node as a copy pipe that does a sync on every run. See [Table functions](../table-functions) for general information and tips.

## Setting secrets

Table functions require authentication credentials (such as AWS keys) that must be stored securely. Tinybird provides different methods for managing secrets depending on the version you're using.


### Using the Variables API (Classic)

In Tinybird Classic, you must set your credentials using the Environment Variables API:

```shell
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" \
  --data-urlencode "name=my_username" \
  --data-urlencode "value=mysql_user" \
  https://<TB_HOST_URL>/v0/variables/
```

For more details, see the [Environment Variables API](/api-reference/environment-variables-api) documentation.

### Using the CLI (Forward)

In Tinybird Forward, you manage secrets using the `tb secret` command:

```shell
tb secret set my_username mysql_user
tb secret set my_password your_password
```

For more details, see the [tb secret](/forward/dev-reference/commands/tb-secret) command documentation.

Once you've set up your secrets, you can reference them in your SQL with the `tb_secret` function as shown in the Syntax section below.

## Syntax

Create a new pipe node. Call the `mysql` table function and pass the hostname and port, database, table, user, and password:

```sql {% title="Example query logic" %}
SELECT *
FROM mysql(
  'aws-0-eu-central-1.TODO.com:3866',
  'mysql',
  'orders',
  {{tb_secret('my_username')}},
  {{tb_secret('my_password')}}
)
```

Publish this node as a copy pipe. You can choose to append only new data or replace all data.

## Type support and inference

Here's a detailed conversion table:

| MySQL data type | Tinybird data type |
| -------------------- | -------------------- |
| UNSIGNED TINYINT | UInt8 |
| TINYINT | Int8 |
| UNSIGNED SMALLINT | UInt16 |
| SMALLINT | Int16 |
| UNSIGNED INT, UNSIGNED MEDIUMINT | UInt32 |
| INT, MEDIUMINT | Int32 |
| UNSIGNED BIGINT | UInt64 |
| BIGINT | Int64 |
| FLOAT | Float32 |
| DOUBLE | Float64 |
| DATE | Date |
| DATETIME, TIMESTAMP | DateTime |
| BINARY | FixedString |

## Considerations

The following considerations apply to the `mysql()` table function:

- Tinybird doesn't support all MySQL types directly, so some types are mapped to String, which is the most flexible type for arbitrary data.
- Time zone support in Tinybird's `DateTime` can be managed via additional functions or by ensuring consistent storage and retrieval time zones.

## See also

- [Table functions](../table-functions)
{% - [Copy pipes](/forward/work-with-data/optimize/copy-pipes) /%}