Unsplash MCP Server

An MCP server to download images from Unsplash.

Demo

Watch this video to see the server in action:

Requirements

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

• Node.js: This server is built with Node.js. If you don’t have it installed, you can download it from nodejs.org.
• Unsplash API Key: You’ll need an API key from Unsplash to access their service. You can get one by creating a developer account at unsplash.com/developers.

Installation

You can install this MCP server in two ways: manually or by asking an AI agent.

Option 1: Manual Installation

Follow these steps to install and configure the server on your local machine.

Step 1: Clone the Repository

Open your terminal, navigate to your desired project directory, and clone the repository.

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/haramishra/mcp-unsplash

# Navigate into the project directory
cd mcp-unsplash

Step 2: Install Dependencies

Install the necessary Node.js packages defined in package.json.

# Install dependencies
npm install

Step 3: Build the Server

Compile the TypeScript source code into JavaScript.

# Build the server
npm run build

This will create a build directory containing the compiled index.js file.

Step 4: Configure MCP Settings

Add the server to your MCP settings file to make it accessible to your AI applications.

1. Locate your settings file:

   • VS Code: ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/globalStorage/rooveterinaryinc.roo-cline/settings/mcp_settings.json
   • Claude Desktop App: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add the server configuration: Open the file and add a new entry to the mcpServers object.

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "unsplash-server": {
         "command": "node",
         "args": ["/path/to/your/cloned/project/build/index.js"],
         "env": {
           "UNSPLASH_API_KEY": "your-unsplash-api-key"
         }
       }
     }
   }
   

   • Replace "/path/to/your/cloned/project/build/index.js" with the absolute path to the index.js file in the build directory you created.
   • Replace "your-unsplash-api-key" with the API key you obtained from Unsplash.

The server is now installed and ready to use.

Option 2: AI-Assisted Installation

You can ask an AI agent like Roo Code or Cline to install the server for you. Provide the repository URL and your Unsplash API key.

Example Prompt:

I want to install an MCP server from a GitHub repository.

Here are the details:
- Repository URL: https://github.com/haramishra/mcp-unsplash
- Environment Variables:
  - UNSPLASH_API_KEY: your-unsplash-api-key