Unsplash Images
Enables users to search for high-quality photos on Unsplash with support for advanced filtering by orientation and content safety. It provides formatted photo metadata and images in either base64-encoded format or as JSON with URLs via stdio transpor
What is Unsplash Images?
Unsplash Images is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to enables users to search for high-quality photos on unsplash with support for advanced filtering by orientation and content safety. it provides formatted photo metadata and images in either base64-enco...
Enables users to search for high-quality photos on Unsplash with support for advanced filtering by orientation and content safety. It provides formatted photo metadata and images in either base64-encoded format or as JSON with URLs via stdio transpor
This server falls under the Search & Data Extraction category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Enables users to search for high-quality photos on Unsplash
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx unsplash-mcp-serverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Unsplash Images
The Unsplash MCP server enables AI clients to search Unsplash's library of high-quality royalty-free photographs through a `search_photos` tool that supports filtering by keyword, orientation (landscape, portrait, squarish), and content safety ratings. Results include rich photo metadata and can be returned as base64-encoded images or as JSON objects with direct URLs, making it easy to embed or download images. Designers, developers, and content creators use it to source professional imagery from within their AI workflow without visiting the Unsplash website.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.10+ installed
- uv package manager installed (`pip install uv`)
- An Unsplash developer account and Access Key (register at unsplash.com/developers)
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Cursor
Clone the repository
Clone the unsplash-mcp-server repository to your local machine.
git clone https://github.com/hellokaton/unsplash-mcp-server.git
cd unsplash-mcp-serverCreate a virtual environment and install dependencies
Use uv to create a virtual environment and install the server's dependencies.
uv venv
uv pip install .Obtain an Unsplash Access Key
Sign up at unsplash.com/developers, create a new application, and copy the Access Key from the application's settings page.
Configure your MCP client
Add the server to your MCP client configuration, providing your Unsplash Access Key as an environment variable.
{
"mcpServers": {
"unsplash": {
"command": "uv",
"args": ["run", "--with", "fastmcp", "fastmcp", "run", "/absolute/path/to/unsplash-mcp-server/server.py"],
"env": {
"UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "your_unsplash_access_key"
}
}
}
}Restart your MCP client and test
Restart Claude Desktop or Cursor. Ask it to search for photos to verify the connection to Unsplash.
Unsplash Images Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop or Cursor configuration for the Unsplash MCP server with your Access Key.
{
"mcpServers": {
"unsplash": {
"command": "uv",
"args": [
"run",
"--with",
"fastmcp",
"fastmcp",
"run",
"/Users/yourname/unsplash-mcp-server/server.py"
],
"env": {
"UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "your_unsplash_access_key_here"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts to use with the Unsplash MCP server.
- "Find 5 landscape photos of mountain ranges at sunrise."
- "Search for portrait-orientation photos of coffee shops, filtered for safe content only."
- "Get me 10 minimalist office workspace photos and show me their download URLs."
- "Find square-format photos of tropical beaches."Troubleshooting Unsplash Images
401 Unauthorized error when searching photos
Verify that UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY is set correctly in your MCP config env block. Make sure you are using the Access Key (not the Secret Key) from your Unsplash application settings.
Rate limit errors (403) after several searches
Unsplash demo applications are limited to 50 requests per hour. Apply for production access in the Unsplash Developer portal if you need higher limits. Production applications get 5,000 requests per hour.
The uv command is not found when the client starts the server
Install uv with `pip install uv` and ensure it is on your PATH. If uv is installed but the MCP client cannot find it, use the full absolute path to the uv binary as the `command` value in your config.
Frequently Asked Questions about Unsplash Images
What is Unsplash Images?
Unsplash Images is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables users to search for high-quality photos on unsplash with support for advanced filtering by orientation and content safety. it provides formatted photo metadata and images in either base64-encoded format or as json with urls via stdio transpor It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Unsplash Images?
Follow the installation instructions on the Unsplash Images GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Unsplash Images?
Unsplash Images works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Unsplash Images free to use?
Yes, Unsplash Images is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Set Up Unsplash Images in Your Editor
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Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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