Getting Started with HelloQuery

Welcome to HelloQuery! This guide will walk you through the initial setup so you can start querying your databases in no time.

Step 1: Sign Up for an Account

To begin using HelloQuery, you need to create an account. Follow these steps:

1. Visit the HelloQuery Website:

   • Go to helloquery.com.

2. Click on "Sign Up":

   • On the homepage, locate the "Sign Up" button at the top right corner and click on it.

3. Choose Your Preferred Sign-Up Method:

   • Email: Enter your email address, create a password, and click "Sign Up".
   • Google: Click the "Sign Up with Google" button. You’ll be redirected to sign in with your Google account. Choose the Google account you want to use, and authorize HelloQuery to access your account.

Step 2: Identify Your Database Type

Before connecting your database to HelloQuery, you need to know what type of database you have:

1. Determine Your Database Type:
   • The databases supported by HelloQuery are MySQL and PostgreSQL.
   • If you’re unsure about your database type, check with your database administrator.
2. Figure out your database provider:
   • Where is your database hosted?
   • Common database providers are Heroku, AWS RDS, Digital Ocean, Render, Fly.io.

Step 3: Create Read-Only Credentials

To safely connect your database to HelloQuery, you should create a read-only user for database access:

For MySQL:

1. Access Your MySQL Database:

   • Log in to your MySQL server using your preferred client (e.g., MySQL Workbench, command line).

2. Create a Read-Only User:

   -- STEP 1. Create user with password
   CREATE USER 'helloquery_user' IDENTIFIED BY 'secure_password';

   -- STEP 2. Ensure the user has strictly read-only privileges
   GRANT SELECT, SHOW VIEW ON database_name_you_want_to_connect_to_helloquery.* TO 'helloquery_user';
   FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

1. Replace your_database_name with your actual database name and secure_password with a real password.

For PostgreSQL:

1. Access Your PostgreSQL Database:
   • Log in to your PostgreSQL server using your preferred client (e.g., pgAdmin, psql, command line).
2. Create a Read-Only Role:

   CREATE ROLE helloquery_user WITH LOGIN PASSWORD 'secure_password';
   GRANT CONNECT ON DATABASE your_database_name TO helloquery_user;
   GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA public TO helloquery_user;
   GRANT SELECT ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA public TO helloquery_user;
   ALTER DEFAULT PRIVILEGES IN SCHEMA public GRANT SELECT ON TABLES TO helloquery_user;

1. Replace your_database_name with your actual database name and secure_password with a real password

Step 4: Connect Your Database to HelloQuery

Now that you have your read-only credentials, it’s time to connect your database to HelloQuery:

1. Log in to HelloQuery:
   • Ensure you’re logged into your HelloQuery account.
2. Click on "Connect Manually" from the main page

3. Enter Your Database Credentals

   • Database Type: Select either MySQL or PostgreSQL.
   • Connection Name: How you want to refer to your database (i.e. MySaaS Production)
   • Database Name: The hosted database name
   • Hostname: Enter the database server’s IP address or hostname.
   • Port: Enter the port number (default for MySQL is 3306, and for PostgreSQL, it's 5432).
   • Username: Enter the read-only username you created (helloquery_user).
   • Password: Enter the password for the read-only user.
   • "Requires Whitelist": Check this box if you're database is behind a firewall (AWS) and you need a secure tunnel. You'll also need to whitelist our IPs.

4. Click "Create and Test Connection" to ensure HelloQuery can connect to your database successfully. If the connection fails, double-check the credentials and database details you provided.

5. You will be redirected to chat on successful connection and you can start asking questions immediately!