Setting Up a MySQL Database From the Panel
Many plugins and mods need a MySQL database to store their data, and you can create one in under a minute from the Databases page without installing anything.
3 min read · Updated Sep 24, 2026 · By GuavaHost Team
Many plugins and mods need a MySQL database to store their data, and you can create one in under a minute from the Databases page without installing anything.
MySQL is a database (an organised place to store information like player stats, economy balances or web-map data). Some plugins keep everything in flat files and need nothing from you. Others ask for database connection details in their config, and that is when this guide comes in.
Creating a database
- Sign in at customer.guavahost.com, open My servers and click Manage on your server.
- Open Databases in the server menu. (If you do not see it, your plan has no database slots. Manage plan is where you can add them.)
- Click Create database.
- Give it a short Name you will recognise in the plugin's config, for example
luckperms. Letters, numbers, dashes and underscores only. The panel adds a prefix so it is unique. - Leave Allow connections from as
%unless a guide says otherwise.%means any address can connect, including your server. - Click Create database, and the panel sets it up instantly.
The details you get back
Once created, the panel shows everything a plugin needs to connect. You will see:
- Host (also called the endpoint or address of the database server).
- Port, commonly
3306for MySQL. - Database name, with the prefix the panel added.
- Username, assigned by the panel.
- Password, which you can reveal with Show password and copy.
- Host with port, for plugins such as LuckPerms that want both in one box.
There is also a block with every detail in one place, handy for pasting into a note.
Keep these somewhere safe. The password in particular is a credential, so treat it like one.
Plugging it into a plugin
Most plugins have a config file (often config.yml, database.yml or similar) with a database section. Open it on the Files tab and fill in the fields with the values from the Databases page. A typical section looks like this:
database:
host: your-host-address
port: 3306
name: s123_yourdb
username: u123_xxxxxxxx
password: your-password
Match each line to the matching value in the panel, save the file, and restart the server so the plugin picks up the new settings. Watch the Console as it boots; a plugin that connects successfully usually says so in the log, and one that fails usually prints exactly what it could not reach.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Copying the wrong field. The username and database name look similar because both are prefixed by the panel. Copy each into its own line carefully.
- A stray space in the password. Paste cleanly, with no leading or trailing space, or the connection will be refused.
- Editing while the server runs. Change the config, then restart, so the file is not being read as you save it.
- Wrong port. Use the port shown in the panel; it is usually
3306but always confirm.
Managing databases later
Back on the Databases page you can click New password at any time (update the plugin config afterwards) or Delete a database you no longer need. Deleting one removes its data permanently, so only remove databases you are sure are unused. Server backups save your files, not your databases, so if a database holds something you cannot lose, export it from the plugin itself now and then.
Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.
- mysql
- database
- plugins
- setup
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