TiDB Cloud Zero: Serverless MySQL for AI Agents, MCP Servers, and RAG

Q: How does it work at a high level?

1. Your app or agent requests a new TiDB Cloud Zero instance. 2. Zero provisions a dedicated database session for you. 3. You get connection details and a claim link. 4. You connect over MySQL/TLS and start running SQL immediately. 5. If you want to keep it, claim it before it expires.

[*]
AI Ready
Vector + relational in one store.
[=]
Full MySQL
Joins, transactions, and standard SQL.
[~]
Disposable
30-day lifespan for demos and CI.
[>>]
Zero
Provision in milliseconds, no cold starts.

What Can You Build with a Temporary MySQL Database?

AI Agent Memory Database ↗

Store agent state, user preferences, tool outputs, and searchable memory in one disposable SQL backend.

Database for MCP Servers ↗

Provision a low-friction MySQL backend for MCP tools, protocol demos, and per-session state.

Serverless MySQL for RAG ↗

Use MySQL-compatible SQL with vector search and full-text search for retrieval-heavy prototypes.

Temporary Database Workflows ↗

Browse demos, tutorials, evaluation flows, and API-first sandboxes built around disposable databases.

How Do You Provision a Serverless MySQL Database from the CLI?

Provision a temporary MySQL-compatible database via API, then connect and run one SQL query using curl, jq, and mysql.

Step 1. Create an Instance

curl -s -X POST https://zero.tidbapi.com/v1beta1/instances \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"tag":"cli-quickstart"}' \
  | tee tidb-zero.json

Step 2. Load the Connection String into Your Shell

export TIDB_CONNECTION_STRING="$(jq -r '.instance.connectionString' tidb-zero.json)"

Step 3. Run a Test Query with mysql

mysql "$TIDB_CONNECTION_STRING" -e "SELECT 1 AS health_check, 2 AS example_value;"

If you want to paste multiline SQL instead:

mysql "$TIDB_CONNECTION_STRING" <<'SQL'
SELECT 1 AS health_check, 2 AS example_value;
SQL

You should see

+--------------+---------------+
| health_check | example_value |
+--------------+---------------+
|            1 |             2 |
+--------------+---------------+

What to check if something fails

If step 2 prints nothing, check tidb-zero.json for .instance.connectionString.
If step 3 says `mysql: command not found`, install `mysql-client` and reopen your shell.

Which API Creates a TiDB Cloud Zero Database?

POST/v1beta1/instances

v1alpha1 is deprecated and will be removed on 2026-04-06. Please migrate to v1beta1.

Request body

{
  "tag": "try-in-browser"
}

Response (200 OK)

{
  "instance": {
    "id": "...",
    "connection": {
      "host": "...",
      "port": 4000,
      "username": "...",
      "password": "..."
    },
    "connectionString": "mysql://...",
    "claimInfo": {
      "claimUrl": "https://tidbcloud.com/tidbs/claim/..."
    },
    "expiresAt": "..."
  }
}

What Does TiDB Cloud Zero Look Like in Real Projects?

Featured demo

TiDB Cloud Zero MCP

An MCP server that auto-provisions TiDB Cloud Zero on first query and exposes SQL tools over pure HTTPS for AI agents.

GitHub

TiDB Cloud Zero Browser

A browser SQL editor that auto-provisions TiDB Cloud Zero so you can run queries and explore built-in scenarios without signup.

GitHub Live Demo

Agent Economy Demo

Shows agents paying for data via x402, persisting memory in TiDB Cloud Zero, and collaborating through shared SQL state.

GitHub

FAQ

[01] What is TiDB Cloud Zero?+

TiDB Cloud Zero gives AI agents and developers instant access to a real TiDB Cloud database with no signup, no setup, and no infrastructure work.

It is built for fast prototyping, demos, automation, AI agent memory, and "try now" experiences that can later be upgraded into a full TiDB Cloud account.

[02] Who builds TiDB Cloud Zero?+

PingCAP builds TiDB Cloud Zero as part of the TiDB Cloud product line.

It gives teams a disposable database entry point for experiments, demos, and agent workflows, then a path into longer-lived TiDB Cloud environments when a workflow needs to keep running.

[03] Who is it for?+

TiDB Cloud Zero is for AI agents, developers, and teams that want a real SQL database in seconds.

It works especially well for prototypes, tutorials, demos, testing, product evaluation, MCP tooling, and serverless MySQL experiments.

[04] Do I need to sign up or add a credit card?+

No. You can start instantly without creating an account or adding payment details. If you want to keep the database, raise limits, or manage it long term, you can claim it later in TiDB Cloud.

[05] What usage is included?+

TiDB Cloud Zero includes TiDB Cloud Starter free quota plus a hard $1 spending limit per temporary database.

See TiDB Cloud Starter usage quota

[06] How does it work at a high level?+

Your app or agent requests a new TiDB Cloud Zero instance.
Zero provisions a dedicated database session for you.
You get connection details and a claim link.
You connect over MySQL/TLS and start running SQL immediately.
If you want to keep it, claim it before it expires.

[07] Can I use TiDB Cloud Zero for AI agent memory?+

Yes. TiDB Cloud Zero works well for agent memory prototypes because it can store structured SQL state, vector data, and searchable text in one MySQL-compatible database. That is useful when your agent needs more than embeddings alone, such as user profiles, tool outputs, or exact filters.

[08] Can TiDB Cloud Zero sit behind an MCP server?+

Yes. TiDB Cloud Zero is not itself an MCP server, but it works well as the database behind MCP tools and custom MCP server implementations. You can provision a disposable database over HTTPS, then connect with standard MySQL-compatible drivers.

[09] Is TiDB Cloud Zero useful for RAG or vector search demos?+

Yes. TiDB Cloud Zero is a practical fit for early RAG, retrieval, and semantic search experiments because it combines MySQL compatibility with vector search and full-text search. It lets you test search-heavy AI workflows before committing to a permanent architecture.

[10] Is this basically a temporary MySQL database API?+

Yes. At a high level, TiDB Cloud Zero is an API-first way to create a disposable MySQL-compatible database with no signup. That makes it useful for demos, tutorials, isolated test runs, and other short-lived SQL environments.

[11] Which API path should I use?+

Use POST https://zero.tidbapi.com/v1beta1/instances.

v1alpha1 is deprecated and will be removed on 2026-04-06. Please migrate to v1beta1.

[12] How long does a database last (TTL)?+

Each TiDB Cloud Zero database lasts up to 30 days unless you claim it first.

When it expires, the credentials are revoked, the claim link stops working, and the database is securely removed.

[13] What is "Claim"?+

Claim lets you turn a temporary TiDB Cloud Zero database into a persistent TiDB Cloud database.

Open the claim link, sign up or log in, and the database moves under your account so you can keep using it beyond the temporary session.