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Unsplash MCP Server

Source

a Swift implementation of hellokaton/unsplash-mcp-server, with additional features like get_photo and random_photo

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Overview

Unsplash MCP Server is a Swift implementation of a Model Context Protocol server that provides capabilities for searching and retrieving photos from Unsplash's extensive collection.

To use the Unsplash MCP Server, you can either download the pre-built binary or build it from source. After installation, set your Unsplash API access key in the environment variables to start using the server.

  • Advanced Image Search: Search Unsplash's photo library with filters for keyword relevance, color schemes, orientation options, and custom sorting. - Detailed Photo Information: Retrieve comprehensive details about specific photos, including EXIF data and photographer information. - Random Photo Selection: Get random photos with flexible filtering options.
  1. Integrating photo search capabilities into applications.
  2. Retrieving random images for creative projects.
  3. Accessing detailed information about photos for data analysis.

Add to your AI client

Use these steps to connect Unsplash MCP Server in Cursor, Claude, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible apps. The same JSON appears in the Use with menu above for one-click copy.

Cursor

Add this to your .cursor/mcp.json file in your project root, then restart Cursor.

.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unsplash-mcp-server-swift-okooo5km": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-unsplash-mcp-server-swift-okooo5km"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

Add this server entry to the mcpServers object in your Claude Desktop config, then restart the app.

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unsplash-mcp-server-swift-okooo5km": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-unsplash-mcp-server-swift-okooo5km"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

Add this to your project's .mcp.json file. Claude Code will detect it automatically.

.mcp.json (project root)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unsplash-mcp-server-swift-okooo5km": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-unsplash-mcp-server-swift-okooo5km"
      ]
    }
  }
}

VS Code (Copilot)

Add this to your .vscode/mcp.json file. Requires the GitHub Copilot extension with MCP support enabled.

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "unsplash-mcp-server-swift-okooo5km": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-unsplash-mcp-server-swift-okooo5km"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Add this to your Windsurf MCP config file, then restart Windsurf.

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unsplash-mcp-server-swift-okooo5km": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-unsplash-mcp-server-swift-okooo5km"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cline

Open Cline settings, navigate to MCP Servers, and add this server configuration.

Cline MCP Settings (via UI)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unsplash-mcp-server-swift-okooo5km": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-unsplash-mcp-server-swift-okooo5km"
      ]
    }
  }
}

FAQ

**What is required to run the server?**

You need Swift 6.0 or later, macOS 14.0 or later, and an Unsplash API access key.

**Is there a license for this project?**

Yes, Unsplash MCP Server is licensed under the MIT License, allowing free use, modification, and distribution.

**Where can I find the source code?**

The source code is available on GitHub at [Unsplash MCP Server](https://github.com/okooo5km/unsplash-mcp-server-swift).7:["$","div",null,{"className":"container mx-auto flex flex-col gap-4","children":["$L26","$L27",["$","$L28",null,{"currentProject":{"id":3314,"uuid":"6c2dfe84-e269-48d9-abc3-3b429cd26033","name":"unsplash-mcp-server-swift","title":"Unsplash MCP Server","description":"a Swift implementation of hellokaton/unsplash-mcp-server, with additional features like get_photo and random_photo","avatar_url":"https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/11806733?v=4","created_at":"2025-03-18T18:38:58.000Z","updated_at":"2025-03-18T18:43:21.359Z","status":"created","author_name":"okooo5km","author_avatar_url":"https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/11806733?v=4","tags":"[]","category":"developer-tools","is_featured":false,"sort":1,"url":"https://github.com/okooo5km/unsplash-mcp-server-swift","target":"_self","content":"$29","summary":"$2a","img_url":"https://camo.githubusercontent.com/b9e16c039986acc9776f3e3fcc616bcee119ca4d97d97c0cc38653fdf04fa00f/68747470733a2f2f696d672e736869656c64732e696f2f62616467652f706c6174666f726d2d6d61634f532d6c6967687467726579","type":null,"metadata":"{\"star\":\"6\",\"license\":\"\",\"language\":\"Swift\",\"is_official\":false,\"latest_commit_time\":\"2025-03-21 17:20:07\"}","user_uuid":null,"tools":null,"sse_url":null,"sse_provider":null,"sse_params":null,"is_official":false,"server_command":null,"server_params":null,"server_config":null,"allow_call":false,"is_innovation":false,"is_dxt":false,"dxt_manifest":null,"dxt_file_url":null,"is_audit":false},"randomProjects":[],"currentServerKey":"$undefined"}]]}]

Developer tools
Unsplash MCP Server — MCP Registry