Unsplash MCP Server

Track Download

track_download

Track Unsplash photo downloads to comply with API guidelines and credit photographers when users save or download images.

Instructions

Track a photo download (REQUIRED by Unsplash API guidelines).

You MUST call this function when a user downloads or saves a photo. This is required by Unsplash's API guidelines to properly credit photographers and track usage statistics.

Call this AFTER the user confirms they want to download/use the image, not when just displaying search results.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "photo_id": "<photo_id>"
    },
    "name": "track_download"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`photo_id`	Yes	The photo ID from a previous search_photos or get_random_photos result

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`result`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedv1.0.0Oct 29, 2026

TDQS

A4.3/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

With no annotations, the description carries the full load and does disclose key traits: this is a mandatory side-effecting call driven by Unsplash API guidelines, it exists to credit photographers and record usage statistics, and it must follow user confirmation rather than precede it. It stops short of saying whether repeated calls for the same photo are safe/idempotent or what happens if the call is skipped or fails.

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

Conciseness4/5

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

The obligation is front-loaded in caps and the conditional rule follows, so an agent gets the critical instruction immediately. It loses a little to redundancy, since the API-guideline requirement is restated in the second paragraph alongside the photographer-credit rationale.

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

Completeness4/5

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

For a single-parameter tracking call with an output schema already covering return values, the description supplies the invocation timing and the mandatory nature of the call. Only failure behavior and repeat-call semantics are left uncovered, which is a minor gap at this complexity level.

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

Parameters3/5

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

Only one parameter exists and schema description coverage is 100%, so the schema already explains that photo_id comes from a prior search_photos or get_random_photos result. The description adds no further syntax, format, or sourcing detail beyond that baseline.

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

Purpose5/5

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

The description states a specific verb and resource ("Track a photo download") and immediately frames it against the discovery siblings by saying it should not be called "when just displaying search results." An agent can tell this apart from search_photos and get_random_photos without opening any schema.

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

Usage Guidelines5/5

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

It gives explicit when-to-call ("You MUST call this function when a user downloads or saves a photo") and an explicit when-not-to-call ("not when just displaying search results"), plus the ordering constraint that it must happen AFTER user confirmation. This is exactly the routing information an agent needs.

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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