unsplash-mcp
Search and retrieve royalty-free photos from Unsplash, including photo search with filters for orientation, color, content safety, and more, collection search, and download single or batch photos to local files.
Click on "Deploy Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@unsplash-mcp search for mountain landscape photos"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
Unsplash MCP Server
MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that exposes Unsplash photo and collection search as tools for AI agents.
Search and retrieve royalty-free photos β all from within your MCP-compatible client.
Features
πΌοΈ Photo Search β high-quality photos with filters for orientation, color, content safety, and more
π Collection Search β discover curated photo collections by keyword
π₯ Download β download single or batch photos to local files
π Content Filter β optional stricter filtering for younger audiences
π Pagination β full control over page size and page number
Related MCP server: unsplash-mcp
Quick Start
1. Get an Unsplash Access Key
Sign up for a free API key at unsplash.com/developers.
2. Configure your MCP client
Add the following to your MCP client configuration (e.g. mcp_config.json):
{
"unsplash": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"--from",
"git+https://github.com/spideryzarc/unsplash-mcp",
"unsplash-mcp"
],
"env": {
"UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "YOUR_ACCESS_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}Replace
YOUR_ACCESS_KEY_HEREwith your actual Unsplash Access Key.
That's it! The server will be installed and started automatically by uvx.
Available Tools
search_unsplash_photos
Search for photos on Unsplash.
Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
| string | (required) | Search terms |
| string | β |
|
| string | β | e.g. |
| string |
|
|
| string |
|
|
| string | β | Comma-separated collection IDs |
| number |
| Page number |
| number |
| Results per page (1β30) |
search_unsplash_collections
Search for collections on Unsplash.
Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
| string | (required) | Search terms |
| number |
| Page number |
| number |
| Results per page (1β30) |
download_unsplash_media
Download a single photo from an Unsplash URL to a local file.
Parameter | Type | Description |
| string | The Unsplash photo URL (e.g. |
| string | Absolute local file path to save the file |
download_unsplash_media_batch
Download multiple photos from Unsplash URLs in parallel.
Parameter | Type | Description |
| array | List of objects with |
Development
# Clone and install locally
git clone https://github.com/spideryzarc/unsplash-mcp.git
cd unsplash-mcp
# Create a virtual environment (optional)
uv venv && source .venv/bin/activate
# Install in editable mode
uv pip install -e .
# Run the server directly
UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY="your_key" unsplash-mcpLicense
MIT
Available Tools
4 toolsdownload_unsplash_mediaA
Download a single photo from an Unsplash URL to a local file. Use the URLs returned by search_unsplash_photos (e.g. urls.regular). Creates parent directories automatically.
Inputs: url (required), dest_path (required). Returns: result
download_unsplash_media_batchA
Download multiple photos from Unsplash URLs in parallel. Provide a list of (URL, destination path) pairs. Returns a result for each file with success status and size.
Inputs: files (required). Returns: result
search_unsplash_collectionsA
Search for collections on Unsplash. Returns collections with title, description, total photos, cover photo URLs, and curator info.
Inputs: query (required), page, per_page. Returns: result
search_unsplash_photosA
Search for photos on Unsplash. Returns royalty-free photos with multiple resolution URLs (raw/full/regular/small/thumb), dimensions, color, description, author info, and likes.
Inputs: query (required), page, color, order_by, +4 more. Returns: result
Tool Schema Changelog
Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
Loading tool schema changelogβ¦
TDQS
Scored across 4 tools
The two search tools clearly target different entities (photos vs collections), and the two download tools are distinguished by single vs batch operation. Even though download and batch download overlap in purpose, their descriptions make the distinction explicit.
All tool names follow a consistent verb_noun pattern (search_unsplash_* and download_unsplash_*), using snake_case throughout. The naming clearly indicates both the action and the target, and the batch tool follows the same convention with a suffix.
With 4 tools, the server is well-scoped for searching and downloading Unsplash content. Each tool serves a distinct, necessary function, and the count feels appropriate for a focused media-access server.
The domain of Unsplash photo search and download is fully covered: users can search photos and collections, and download individual or multiple images. There are no obvious dead ends, as the search tools return URLs that feed directly into the download tools.
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