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Connecting Your Database

Updated this week

This guide walks you through connecting your database to BlazeSQL so you can start querying your data with natural language.

Supported Database Types

BlazeSQL supports the following databases & warehouses:

  • PostgreSQL

  • MySQL

  • SQL Server

  • MariaDB

  • Oracle

  • Snowflake

  • Redshift

  • BigQuery

  • Clickhouse

  • Databricks

  • SQL Anywhere

  • Athena

Step 1: Choose Your Database Type

After signing in, click "Add new" from the database dropdown. Give your database a readable name, and select your database type.

Step 2: Choose Connection Method

For most database types, you have two options:

  • Connect directly: BlazeSQL connects to your database and can run live queries. This is the recommended approach to unlock all BlazeSQL functionality.

  • Copy/paste column names: If you can't or don't want to provide direct access, you can paste your table and column names. BlazeSQL will generate SQL queries for you to run manually.

Step 3: Enter Connection Details

For a direct connection, you'll need:

  • Host: Your database server address (e.g., db.example.com or an IP address)

    • Exclude https

    • Download the desktop version if your database is local or inside a private company network that requires a VPN or local connection (www.BlazeSQL.com/download)

  • Port: The port your database listens on (default ports are pre-filled for each DB type)

  • Matching DB name: The name of the specific database on your server

  • Username: A database user with read access

  • Password: The password for that user

Some database types have special requirements:

  • Snowflake: Use your account identifier as the host (e.g., xy12345.us-east-1). Optionally specify a warehouse. Supports key pair authentication.

  • BigQuery: BlazeSQL creates a service account for you. Grant this service account the listed permissions to query your database.

  • Databricks: Enter your workspace URL as host, HTTP path, and an access token.

  • Athena: Enter your AWS access key ID, secret key, region, and S3 output location.

  • SQL Server: On the desktop app for Windows, you can optionally use Windows Authentication instead of entering a username and password. This option is only available on the desktop version.

IP Whitelisting

If your database has a restricted IP whitelist, you'll need to whitelist BlazeSQL's IP address so it can connect with the web app (or download the desktop app and whitelist your own device IP):

BlazeSQL IP Address: 35.192.145.209

Connecting to a Database That Isn't Remotely Accessible

If your database is on a private network and not accessible from the internet, you have a few options:

Option 1: Use the Desktop App on the Same Network

Install the BlazeSQL Desktop app on a device that's on the same network as your database (or on the database server itself). The desktop app connects directly from your device, so no external access is needed. This also keeps all query results completely local.

Option 2: SSH Tunnel (Web App)

If you prefer to use the web app, you can connect through an SSH tunnel. This lets BlazeSQL's servers reach your private database through an intermediary SSH server that has access to both the internet and your database network.

Click "+ SSH tunnel" in the connection form and provide:

  • SSH Host: The address of your SSH bastion/jump server

  • SSH Port

  • SSH Username: Your SSH user

  • SSH Key or Password: Authentication for the SSH connection

BlazeSQL will tunnel through the SSH server to reach your database securely. This is commonly used with private databases on AWS, GCP, or Azure that sit in a private subnet behind a bastion host.

Note: SSH tunnels are only available on the web app.

Option 3: Forward with ngrok

If you don't have an SSH bastion server, you can use a tool like ngrok to temporarily expose your local database port to the internet, then connect BlazeSQL to the ngrok URL. This is useful for quick testing or setups where configuring SSH isn't practical.

Step 4: Select Tables

After connecting, BlazeSQL will fetch your database schema and show you a list of tables. Only select the tables you need — this keeps the AI focused and improves query accuracy. You can always add or remove tables later from the database management screen.

Extract Category Values (Optional)

During setup, you'll see an option to "Extract category values". When enabled, BlazeSQL will sample distinct values from categorical columns (e.g., status fields, country names, product types). This helps the AI understand your data vocabulary and write more accurate queries. This is optional and can be toggled on or off at any time.

Privacy Note

BlazeSQL only imports metadata (table names, column names, data types) — not your actual data rows. Query results are only stored temporarily for display purposes (web app) or kept entirely local (desktop app). See our Data Privacy & Security article for full details.

Troubleshooting

If your connection fails, check these common issues:

  • Connection timed out: Make sure BlazeSQL's IP (35.192.145.209) is whitelisted in your firewall/security group for the web version (or your own device IP for the desktop app), and that your database is accessible on the specified port.

  • Authentication failed: Double-check your username and password. Ensure the user has at least read permissions on the target database.

  • Database not found: Verify the "Matching DB name" matches the exact name of the database on your server (case-sensitive for some databases).

  • Timeout: This usually means the credentials are incorrect, or the database cannot be reached from this device. As a troubleshooting step, please try connecting with DBeaver and validate the connection works there. If you are then still not able to connect with the BlazeSQL desktop version, please contact BlazeSQL support. If you are not able to connect with DBeaver, the issue is most likely unrelated to BlazeSQL (If you are not technical, please troubleshoot this with a database administrator before reaching out to support as the issue is most likely not related to BlazeSQL).

  • SSH tunnel errors: Verify your SSH credentials and that the bastion host can reach the database server on the internal network.

  • "No tables found": Ensure your database user has permission to read the schema/information_schema of the target database.

Still having trouble? Reach out via the chat widget — we're happy to help you get connected.

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