mssql

Microsoft SQL Server

Connect a Microsoft SQL Server database to WasteNot to pull customer and transaction data directly from your database. Write custom SQL queries to define exactly what data feeds into your audiences.

Setting up SQL Server requires help from someone on your engineering or data team. Share this guide with them to get started.

Prerequisites

  • A SQL Server database accessible over the internet (SQL Server 2016 or later, or Azure SQL)
  • A database user with read-only access to the tables you want to query
  • The database host, port, name, and credentials

Your database must be reachable from the internet. SSH tunneling is not currently supported. If your database is behind a firewall, you will need to allowlist WasteNot's IP addresses — contact support@wastenot.io for the current list.

Connecting SQL Server

Step 1: Create the data source

  1. Add a new SQL Server data source in WasteNot
  2. Enter a Name
  3. Click Save

Step 2: Configure connection details

After creating the data source, go to its detail page and fill in your connection details:

  • Host — The hostname or IP address of your SQL Server instance
  • Port — The port SQL Server is listening on (default: 1433)
  • Database — The name of the database to connect to
  • Username — A read-only database user
  • Password — The password for the database user

We strongly recommend creating a dedicated read-only user for WasteNot rather than using an admin account. This limits access to only the data you want to sync.

Once the fields are filled in, click Connect. WasteNot will verify the connection.

Custom streams

Once connected, you can create streams to define what data WasteNot pulls from your database. Each stream is a SQL query that returns rows matching WasteNot's expected format.

See the Writing Custom Queries guide for full details on required columns and event types.

  1. Go to your SQL Server data source detail page
  2. Click New Stream
  3. Give the stream a name, select an event type, and enter your SQL query
  4. Save the stream

WasteNot will run the query on a schedule and sync the results automatically.

Frequently asked questions

What permissions does the database user need?

The user needs SELECT privileges on the tables or views referenced in your stream queries. You can also grant access to specific schemas to limit what WasteNot can see.

Does this work with Azure SQL?

Yes. Azure SQL Database is fully supported. Use your Azure SQL server hostname (e.g., yourserver.database.windows.net) as the host.

My data source shows "Failed" status

Common causes:

  • The database is not reachable from the internet
  • Credentials are incorrect or the user has been disabled
  • A firewall is blocking the connection (check Azure firewall rules if using Azure SQL)
  • SQL Server is not configured to accept TCP/IP connections

Check with your data team, or reach out to support@wastenot.io for help.

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