How to Connect to MySQL in a Docker Container with the mysql Client

The official MySQL Docker image already contains the mysql command-line client, so you don't need to install anything on your computer to run SQL. One docker compose exec command opens the client inside the running container. This guide signs in, runs the first few queries every new database deserves, and shows the small things that confuse beginners.

What This Command Does

Terminal

docker compose exec mysql mysql --user=inventory_app --password inventory

It looks like it says "mysql" twice, but each word has its own job:

Part of the command	What it does
docker compose exec	Runs a command inside a container that Compose started
mysql (first)	The service name from compose.yaml
mysql (second)	The program to run: the MySQL command-line client
--user=inventory_app	The MySQL account to sign in as
--password	Ask for the password at a prompt, so it's never typed into the command
inventory	The database to use once you're in

The command works unchanged in bash, zsh and PowerShell. Only running a whole .sql file needs a different line in PowerShell.

Prerequisites

• MySQL running in Docker with Compose: How to Run MySQL in Docker with Docker Compose. docker compose ps should show the service as (healthy).
• The account's password. In that set-up, it's the value of MYSQL_PASSWORD in your .env file.
• A terminal in the project folder, the one with compose.yaml.

Step 1: Open the Client

Terminal

docker compose exec mysql mysql --user=inventory_app --password inventory

The client asks for the password. Paste it and press Enter. Nothing appears while you type or paste, which is normal for password prompts.

Output

Enter password:
Welcome to the MySQL monitor.  Commands end with ; or \g.
Your MySQL connection id is 13
Server version: 9.7.4 MySQL Community Server - GPL

Copyright (c) 2000, 2026, Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its
affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective
owners.

Type 'help;' or '\h' for help. Type '\c' to clear the current input statement.

mysql>

mysql> is the client's prompt: MySQL is waiting for SQL. Server version: 9.7.4 already tells you which MySQL you reached.

Step 2: Run Your First Queries

Type each statement at the mysql> prompt and end it with a semicolon ;.

Which MySQL version is this?

mysql>

SELECT VERSION();

Output

+-----------+
| VERSION() |
+-----------+
| 9.7.4     |
+-----------+
1 row in set (0.000 sec)

Which account am I signed in as?

mysql>

SELECT CURRENT_USER();

Output

+-----------------+
| CURRENT_USER()  |
+-----------------+
| inventory_app@% |
+-----------------+
1 row in set (0.000 sec)

An account is a user name plus the host it may connect from. % means "from anywhere", and that's how the image creates MYSQL_USER.

Which databases can I see?

mysql>

SHOW DATABASES;

Output

+--------------------+
| Database           |
+--------------------+
| information_schema |
| inventory          |
| performance_schema |
+--------------------+
3 rows in set (0.000 sec)

inventory is the database the container created. The other two are built-in, read-only views of the server: information_schema describes databases and tables, and performance_schema holds runtime statistics.

What am I allowed to do?

mysql>

SHOW GRANTS;

Output

+--------------------------------------------------------------+
| Grants for inventory_app@%                                   |
+--------------------------------------------------------------+
| GRANT USAGE ON *.* TO `inventory_app`@`%`                    |
| GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON `inventory`.* TO `inventory_app`@`%` |
+--------------------------------------------------------------+
2 rows in set (0.000 sec)

USAGE ON *.* means "may sign in, nothing more", and ALL PRIVILEGES ON inventory.* gives full rights on the inventory database only. The account can't touch any other database, which is the safe set-up for an app.

Step 3: Leave the Client

mysql>

exit

Output

Bye

You're back at your normal terminal prompt. MySQL itself keeps running.

Run One Query Without Staying In

For a single quick query, add --execute. The client signs in, runs it, prints the result and exits:

Terminal

docker compose exec mysql mysql --user=inventory_app --password --execute="SELECT VERSION();" inventory

Output

Enter password:
+-----------+
| VERSION() |
+-----------+
| 9.7.4     |
+-----------+

Run a SQL File

To run every statement in a .sql file, send the file to the client as its input. This example file holds two queries:

artifacts/list-tables.sql

SELECT VERSION();
SHOW TABLES;

Two things change from the commands above, because the input now comes from a file instead of your keyboard:

• -T. docker compose exec normally connects your terminal to the command. Docker's reference describes the option as "Disable pseudo-TTY allocation. By default 'docker compose exec' allocates a TTY." Without a terminal, the file can flow into the client.
• The password. With no terminal, --password on its own can't ask you for it: it reads the first line of your file as the password and fails. So the command lets a shell inside the container fill the password in from MYSQL_PASSWORD, the variable compose.yaml already passes to the container.

bash / zsh

Terminal

docker compose exec -T mysql sh -c 'exec mysql --user=inventory_app --password="$MYSQL_PASSWORD" inventory' < artifacts/list-tables.sql

PowerShell

PowerShell

Get-Content artifacts/list-tables.sql -Raw | docker compose exec -T mysql sh -c 'exec mysql --user=inventory_app --password="$MYSQL_PASSWORD" inventory'

Output

mysql: [Warning] Using a password on the command line interface can be insecure.
VERSION()
9.7.4
Tables_in_inventory
__EFMigrationsHistory
categories
order_lines
orders
products
stock_movements

Here is what each new part does:

Part of the command	What it does
-T	Runs the client without a terminal, so it reads the file
sh -c '…'	Runs a shell inside the container, which knows MYSQL_PASSWORD
Single quotes around 'exec mysql …'	Stop your own shell from filling in $MYSQL_PASSWORD; the container's shell does it
exec mysql	Replaces that shell with the client, so the client's exit code is the command's exit code
< artifacts/list-tables.sql (bash, zsh)	Sends the file to the command as its input
Get-Content … -Raw | (PowerShell)	Reads the whole file and pipes it to the command, because PowerShell has no <

The warning is expected: the password is on the client's command line inside the container, where a program such as ps could see it. The only other program in this container is MySQL itself, so for a local development database that's an acceptable trade. The password never appears in your own shell or its history.

Two more things differ from an interactive session, both described on the manual's batch mode page:

• Results are plain text, without the boxes. "The default output format is different (more concise) when you run mysql in batch mode." Add -t after mysql to get the boxes back.
• The first error stops the file. "If you want the script to continue even if some of the statements in it produce errors, you should use the --force command-line option." Statements before the error have already run.

This is how you run a SQL script that someone else wrote, such as a migration script generated by EF Core. Fixed: ERROR 1064 in an EF Core Idempotent Migration Script uses it.

Connect to a Container Not Started by Compose

docker compose exec needs the service name and must run in the project folder. For a container started any other way, use plain docker exec with the container name, and add -it (interactive, with a terminal) so the password prompt works:

Terminal

docker exec -it dewiride-inventory-mysql-1 mysql --user=inventory_app --password --execute="SELECT CURRENT_USER();" inventory

Output

Enter password:
+-----------------+
| CURRENT_USER()  |
+-----------------+
| inventory_app@% |
+-----------------+

What's next:
    Try Docker Debug for seamless, persistent debugging tools in any container or image → docker debug dewiride-inventory-mysql-1
    Learn more at https://docs.docker.com/go/debug-cli/

The "What's next" lines are a tip from Docker Desktop, not part of MySQL's answer. docker ps lists your container names.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	What happens	Do this instead
Typing the password into the command (--password=secret)	MySQL warns Using a password on the command line interface can be insecure., and the password stays in your shell history	Use --password alone and type it at the prompt
Forgetting the semicolon	The client shows -> and waits for more	Type ; and press Enter
Running the command outside the project folder	Compose can't find the mysql service	cd into the folder with compose.yaml first
Signing in as root for everyday work	You can change or drop anything by mistake	Use the app account; keep root for administration

That -> prompt looks like this. The statement runs as soon as the semicolon arrives:

Output

mysql> SELECT VERSION()
    -> ;
+-----------+
| VERSION() |
+-----------+
| 9.7.4     |
+-----------+
1 row in set (0.000 sec)

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user	Wrong password, or the password in .env changed after the first start	Check .env; see Fixed: ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user
service "mysql" is not running	MySQL is stopped	docker compose start --wait, then try again
Enter password: ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'inventory_app'@'localhost' (using password: YES) while running a .sql file	With -T, --password alone read the file's first line as the password	Use the command in Run a SQL File, which reads the container's MYSQL_PASSWORD
Accented letters or emoji vanish as you type them	The container has no locale, so the client only accepts plain ASCII	Start the client with docker compose exec -e LANG=C.utf8 …, see Fixed: Accented Letters Disappear When Typed into the mysql Client

FAQ

Do I need to install MySQL on my computer?

No. The client runs inside the container, which already has it. Your computer only needs Docker.

Which password does the prompt want?

The password of the account in --user. For inventory_app in this set-up, it's the MYSQL_PASSWORD value in .env; for root, it's MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD.

Can I use a graphical tool instead?

Yes. Because the port is published on 127.0.0.1:3306, a desktop database tool on the same computer can connect to host 127.0.0.1, port 3306, with the same account. The command-line client is just the quickest way, with nothing to install.

Conclusion

docker compose exec mysql mysql --user=inventory_app --password inventory opens the MySQL client that ships inside the official image. SELECT VERSION(), SELECT CURRENT_USER(), SHOW DATABASES and SHOW GRANTS confirm which server you reached, who you are and what you may do, and exit leaves. For a single query, --execute does it in one line, and a whole .sql file goes in through docker compose exec -T.

Additional Resources

• docker compose exec — running commands in a running service.
• mysql — The MySQL Command-Line Client (MySQL 9.7) — every client option, including --execute.
• SHOW GRANTS Statement (MySQL 9.7) — reading an account's privileges.

Related

• How to Run MySQL in Docker with Docker Compose
• How to Check the MySQL Version
• How to Check if a MySQL Connection Uses TLS
• How to Connect a .NET C# Web API to a MySQL Database — Part 1