diff --git a/plugins/inputs/sql/README.md b/plugins/inputs/sql/README.md
index 4f6a1a3010456..feb07083e1dce 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/sql/README.md
+++ b/plugins/inputs/sql/README.md
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ to use them.
 
   ## Data source name for connecting
   ## The syntax and supported options depends on selected driver.
-  dsn = "username:password@mysqlserver:3307/dbname?param=value"
+  dsn = "username:password@tcp(mysqlserver:3307)/dbname?param=value"
 
   ## Timeout for any operation
   ## Note that the timeout for queries is per query not per gather.
diff --git a/plugins/inputs/sql/sample.conf b/plugins/inputs/sql/sample.conf
index 014f62c624ef4..749bf3e7c202f 100644
--- a/plugins/inputs/sql/sample.conf
+++ b/plugins/inputs/sql/sample.conf
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
   ## Data source name for connecting
   ## The syntax and supported options depends on selected driver.
-  dsn = "username:password@mysqlserver:3307/dbname?param=value"
+  dsn = "username:password@tcp(mysqlserver:3307)/dbname?param=value"
 
   ## Timeout for any operation
   ## Note that the timeout for queries is per query not per gather.