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unsplash-mcp

unsplash-mcp

by spideryzarc

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

  • πŸ–ΌοΈ Photo Search β€” high-quality photos with filters for orientation, color, content safety, and more

  • πŸ“ Collection Search β€” discover curated photo collections by keyword

  • πŸ“₯ Download β€” download single or batch photos to local files

  • πŸ”’ Content Filter β€” optional stricter filtering for younger audiences

  • πŸ“„ 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_HERE with 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

query

string

(required)

Search terms

orientation

string

β€”

landscape, portrait, squarish

color

string

β€”

e.g. black_and_white, red, blue

content_filter

string

"low"

low or high

order_by

string

"relevant"

relevant or latest

collections

string

β€”

Comma-separated collection IDs

page

number

1

Page number

per_page

number

10

Results per page (1–30)

search_unsplash_collections

Search for collections on Unsplash.

Parameter

Type

Default

Description

query

string

(required)

Search terms

page

number

1

Page number

per_page

number

10

Results per page (1–30)

download_unsplash_media

Download a single photo from an Unsplash URL to a local file.

Parameter

Type

Description

url

string

The Unsplash photo URL (e.g. urls.regular)

dest_path

string

Absolute local file path to save the file

download_unsplash_media_batch

Download multiple photos from Unsplash URLs in parallel.

Parameter

Type

Description

files

array

List of objects with url and dest_path per file

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-mcp

License

MIT

Available Tools

4 tools
download_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 changelog…

    TDQS

    A4.2/5.0

    Scored across 4 tools

    Disambiguation5/5

    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.

    Naming Consistency5/5

    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.

    Tool Count5/5

    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.

    Completeness5/5

    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.

    Maintenance

    ActivityInactive
    ResponsivenessNo recent community issues

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