Unsplash MCP Server

by hanoakio.github.hanoak/unsplash-mcp-serverv1.0.1

Unsplash API: photos, search, users, collections, topics and stats, with guideline-compliant attribution, download tracking and rate-limit reporting.

2Node.jsstdioofficial registry

context tax

queued

security

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cold start

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freshness

Maintained51d ago

Install Unsplash MCP server

claude mcp add unsplash -e UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY='<unsplash-access-key>' -- npx -y @hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unsplash": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "<unsplash-access-key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global) or .cursor/mcp.json (project).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unsplash": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "<unsplash-access-key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Settings → Developer → Edit Config (claude_desktop_config.json), then restart.

{
  "servers": {
    "unsplash": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "<unsplash-access-key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unsplash": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "<unsplash-access-key>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json.

Configuration

Variable	Required	Secret	Description
UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY	yes	yes	Your Unsplash API access key (sent as Authorization: Client-ID).
UNSPLASH_APP_NAME	—	—	Registered Unsplash app name, used as the attribution utm_source.
LOG_LEVEL	—	—	Log verbosity; all logs go to stderr.

Freshness

Maintained — last maintenance signal 51d ago. The newest of the signals below sets the band.

Last commit (default branch)
2026-08-19 · 51d ago · GitHub
Latest release
2026-08-19 · 51d ago · GitHub · v1.2.1
Package published
no data · npm/PyPI
Registry entry updated
2026-07-25 · 3mo ago · official registry · v1.0.1

FAQ

›How do I install the Unsplash MCP server in Claude Code?

Run: claude mcp add unsplash -e UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY='<unsplash-access-key>' -- npx -y @hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server. For Cursor, VS Code, Claude Desktop and Windsurf, use the install tabs above.

›Does Unsplash require an API key?

Yes. It expects UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY, of which 1 is a secret.

›Can I use Unsplash as a remote (hosted) MCP server?

No hosted endpoint is published; it runs locally over stdio.

›Is Unsplash in the official MCP registry?

Yes, as io.github.hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server.