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Connecting to MySQL on Layerbase Cloud
MySQL databases expose the native MySQL protocol, so common CLIs, ORMs, and migration tools connect without a Layerbase-specific driver.
Best for: WordPress-style apps, Rails/Laravel workloads, existing MySQL schemas, and services that need broad MySQL client compatibility.
Open your database in the dashboard
Go to /cloud, click the database you just created, and the connection panel shows the host, port, username, password, and a ready-to-paste connection string for the engine.
Copy the host, allocated port, username, password, and database name from the dashboard.
You can also download the whole set instead of copying values one at a time: the Connect dialog offers a Download .env file, ready to drop into a project under the environment variable your engine's clients expect, and a Download .txt with the labeled parameters. Both files contain the password in plain text, so keep them out of version control.
TLS is required, on by default
Enable TLS in your client, usually with --ssl-mode=REQUIRED or ssl: true. For strict certificate verification, use --ssl-mode=VERIFY_IDENTITY with an --ssl-ca pointing at your system CA bundle, against the direct endpoint (pooler port toggle off in the Connect dialog).
MySQL wire protocol on the allocated TLS port
Use any standard client
MySQL works with the normal client family for that engine. Start with the dashboard snippet, then move the same URL and credentials into your app environment.
If your client has separate direct, pooled, TLS, or HTTP options, prefer the exact variant shown in Quick Connect.
mysql --ssl-mode=REQUIRED -h your-host.cloud.layerbase.dev -P <port> -u layerbase -p appMySQL notes
- Each database gets its own allocated TLS port, shown in Quick Connect. There is no shared 3306 port, so copy the exact port from the dashboard.
- Connections run through a connection pooler and require TLS. Some clients need the certificate mode set explicitly before they negotiate TLS.
- Strict certificate verification (--ssl-mode=VERIFY_IDENTITY, or rejectUnauthorized: true in mysql2) belongs on the direct endpoint, which you get by turning the pooler port toggle off in the Connect dialog. The pooled endpoint presents a certificate generated by the pooler rather than the publicly trusted one for your database hostname, so a verify mode fails there.
- A hibernated MySQL database wakes on connect: the port listener holds your connection open while the engine starts. The cold start is around 20 seconds, so give your client a 30 second connect timeout (mysql2 defaults to 10) or expect the first attempt to time out and retry. You can also start it from the dashboard before you connect, or pin it always-on so it never hibernates. Pinning draws from your plan pool rather than costing a separate add-on. See /docs/plans/always-on.