Unsplash MCP Server

A production-ready Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for the Unsplash API. It gives AI assistants - Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, and any MCP client - tools to search and fetch Unsplash photos, collections, topics, users, and stats, with Unsplash-guideline compliance built in (ready-to-use attribution and download tracking). Sign in once via OAuth to also manage your own profile…

People who work with images and photos and want it reachable from Claude, Cursor, VS Code, or another MCP client. The project is written in TypeScript.

VERIFIED ACTIVE

LAST COMMIT 2026-09-01 · ★ 2 · #147 OF 344 MAINTAINED FINANCE · VERIFIED 2026-09-30

MIT · TypeScript servers · how we verify → /methodology

01 · Install Unsplash MCP Server

before you install - you'll need

Set UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY, UNSPLASH_APP_NAME before connecting.

Claude Code

claude mcp add hanoak-unsplash-mcp-server -- npx -y @hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "hanoak-unsplash-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions

license MIT - declared in the repository

npm package @hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server - published under the repo owner's npm scope (@hanoak)

registry namespace io.github.hanoak is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Unsplash MCP Server can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

Latest releases

v1.2.1 · 2026-08-19

Document the npm provenance guarantee in the README's Privacy & security section. No code changes.

v1.2.0 · 2026-08-08

Add 7 new MCP prompts, covering every tool domain at least once. · - Read-only: photo_gallery (themed multi-photo set with color/mood filters), topic_spotlight (curated topic showcase), photographer_spotlight (a user's…

v1.1.0 · 2026-08-08

Add the 8 OAuth tier-2 (write/me) tools, plus a login/logout CLI command to authorize them. · - New tools: unsplash_get_my_profile, unsplash_update_my_profile, unsplash_create_collection, unsplash_update_collection…

04 · Who maintains Unsplash MCP Server

Unsplash MCP Server is maintained by hanoak. We track 3 MCP servers from hanoak - 3 actively maintained, 5 combined GitHub stars, oldest repo from Jul 2026. Full record: all servers from hanoak.

Pexels MCP Server MCP server for the Pexels API: search & fetch stock photos, videos, and collections. ★ 2

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server
website: https://github.com/hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server#readme
category: finance - ranked #147 of 344 actively-maintained finance servers as of 2026-09-30.
release cadence: 5 releases in the last 90 days (latest 2026-08-19)
registry: io.github.hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server (active, first published 2026-07-25)
packages: npm:@hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server

06 · Unsplash MCP Server FAQ

What is Unsplash MCP Server?

Is Unsplash MCP Server still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-09-30, its last commit was 2026-09-01 and it shipped 5 releases in the last 90 days. We re-verify nightly.

How do I install Unsplash MCP Server?

Run `npx -y @hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server`. The README documents 2 environment variables (UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY, UNSPLASH_APP_NAME) to set first. Set UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY, UNSPLASH_APP_NAME before connecting. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does Unsplash MCP Server run locally?

Yes - it's a stdio server: it runs on your machine (via npx) with your user's permissions. Your data stays local unless the server itself calls external APIs.

07 · Alternatives to Unsplash MCP Server

Alternatives to Unsplash MCP Server

Maintained finance servers if Unsplash MCP Server isn't the fit.

Pairs well with

Servers that cover what Unsplash MCP Server doesn't - only shown when the pairing reason fits the companion.

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