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Unsplash MCP Server and API by Cotlet

Search photographers in Unsplash

unsplash_search_photographers
Read-onlyIdempotent

Search photographers in the user's own Unsplash account from ChatGPT, Claude or any AI agent. Returns how to do it in Unsplash step by step (screens, buttons, fields) and opens nothing by itself; then do it with the cotlet_browser_* tools in the user's Unsplash Cloud Browser. Unsplash's official API: Yes, Unsplash has a public REST API (v1) for photos, collections, users and topics, and an official hosted MCP server at mcp.unsplash.com listed in the Claude directory (checked 6 Nov 2026).

Tool call template

This tool declares no required parameters. Add optional parameters from the input schema as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {},
    "name": "unsplash_search_photographers"
  }
}

Input Schema

NameRequiredDescriptionDefault

No arguments

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Added

TDQS

C2.9/5.0
Behavior2/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, destructiveHint=false, idempotentHint=true and openWorldHint=false, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds the genuinely useful 'opens nothing by itself', but then spends a whole paragraph on Unsplash's public REST API and hosted MCP server, which is irrelevant to how this tool behaves and only muddies the reader's model of it. No indication of return format or what the step-by-step output looks like.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness2/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The useful content is two sentences, but the definition tacks on an off-topic paragraph about Unsplash's REST API, hosted MCP server, Claude directory listing and a check date. That material does not help an agent decide or invoke, and it dilutes the front-loaded guidance. Structure is poor because the misleading 'Search photographers' claim precedes the correction.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness3/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a zero-parameter tool with no output schema, the description must carry the return behavior, and it partially does ('step by step (screens, buttons, fields)') and names the follow-on browser tools. It stops short of describing the actual output shape or what the agent should verify before handing off, so it is adequate but incomplete.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

The schema has zero parameters with full coverage, so there are no parameter semantics to convey. Baseline 4 applies: nothing is missing and nothing in the description conflicts with the empty input contract.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose3/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The opening sentence claims it will 'Search photographers in the user's own Unsplash account', which misrepresents the tool, but the second sentence corrects course by stating it 'Returns how to do it in Unsplash step by step ... and opens nothing by itself'. The true purpose (a how-to provider, not a searcher) is revealed, but only after a misleading lead that contradicts the tool name. No differentiation from unsplash_search_photos or cotlet_app_guide.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It does specify the follow-on step explicitly ('then do it with the cotlet_browser_* tools in the user's Unsplash Cloud Browser'), which is real usage guidance. However, it gives no signal on when to pick this over the sibling search tools or over cotlet_app_guide, and no preconditions for using the Cloud Browser. Usage is implied rather than delimited.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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