# MySQL Data Source - Native Plugin

Grafana ships with a built-in MySQL data source plugin that allows you to query and visualize data from a MySQL compatible database like MariaDB or Percona Server.

## Adding the data source

1. Open the side menu by clicking the Grafana icon in the top header.
2. In the side menu under the Dashboards link you should find a link named Data Sources.
3. Click the + Add data source button in the top header.
4. Select MySQL from the Type dropdown.

## Documentation

For the plugin documentation, visit [plugin documentation website](https://grafana.com/docs/grafana/latest/datasources/mysql/).

## Video Tutorial

Watch this video to learn more about setting up the Grafana MySQL data source plugin:

[![MySQL data source plugin | Visualize MySQL using Grafana | Tutorial](https://img.youtube.com/vi/p_RDHfHS-P8/hq720.jpg)](https://youtu.be/p_RDHfHS-P8 'MySQL data source plugin')

> ## Give it a try using Grafana Play
>
> With Grafana Play, you can explore and see how it works, learning from practical examples to accelerate your development. This feature can be seen on [MySQL data source plugin demo](https://play.grafana.org/d/edyh1ib7db6rkb/mysql-overview).
