[Cotlet](https://cotlet.dev/index.md) · [Integrations](https://cotlet.dev/integrations.md) · [How it works](https://cotlet.dev/how-it-works.md) · [Security](https://cotlet.dev/security.md) · [For developers](https://cotlet.dev/for-developers.md) · [For automation agencies](https://cotlet.dev/for-agencies.md) · [Blog](https://cotlet.dev/blog.md) · [API docs](https://cotlet.dev/docs.md) · [Help center](https://cotlet.dev/help.md) · [Changelog](https://cotlet.dev/changelog.md) · [Contact](https://cotlet.dev/contact.md) · [Pricing](https://cotlet.dev/pricing.md) · [Sign up](https://cotlet.dev/signup) # Unsplash MCP server: Let your AI agent find and sort your Unsplash photos. > Unsplash has a public REST API (v1) for photos, search, collections and users, free at 50 requests an hour in demo mode and 1,000 after production approval (Unsplash API documentation, checked 6 Nov 2026). It also runs an official hosted MCP server at mcp.unsplash.com, listed in Claude's connector directory since July 2026 with 23 tools and an OAuth sign-in. Cotlet runs 12 Unsplash tools in your signed-in account: no API key, no developer app, and nothing to code. It works inside the ChatGPT and Claude apps, runs around the clock in our hosting, and one Cotlet account covers many apps. Your agent searches Unsplash for the photos a post or campaign needs and reads each photographer and link. It builds collections, fills them and clears out the old ones. All of it runs in your own Unsplash account. - Free 7-day trial, no card - Independent, not affiliated with Unsplash - Page: https://cotlet.dev/integrations/unsplash-api-mcp-server ## What can your AI agent do in Unsplash? - Find photos for a blog post - Get the photographer and link for a credit line - Create a collection for a campaign - Add the best photos to it - Remove photos from an old collection - Browse a photographer's latest work ## Does Unsplash have an MCP server or an API? - The official MCP server's tools include search for photos, collections, users and illustrations, and creating, updating and filling collections. Its names match 9 of our 12 tools. Reading one photo by ID and listing a photographer's photos have no match in the listing. - Unsplash's API documentation and help center do not mention the MCP server (checked 6 Nov 2026), so the Claude directory page is the place to read about it. - Make has an Unsplash app with 29 modules. n8n has no Unsplash node (checked 6 Nov 2026). | What you need | Unsplash API | Official MCP | Cotlet | |---|---|---|---| | Search photos, collections and photographers | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Create and edit collections, add and remove photos | Yes, with an OAuth token | Yes | Yes | | Read one photo by ID, list a photographer's photos | Yes | No tool of that name | Yes | | No developer app or access key | You register an app | Sign in with OAuth | Sign in once | | Works in the ChatGPT and Claude apps | You build the connection | Claude directory listing | Paste one address | | One account for many apps | One API | Unsplash only | Yes | Checked 6 Nov 2026. Sources: [Unsplash API documentation](https://unsplash.com/documentation), [Claude connector directory: Unsplash](https://claude.com/connectors/unsplash), [Make: Unsplash app](https://www.make.com/en/integrations/unsplash), [Unsplash License](https://unsplash.com/license) ## How does Cotlet connect to Unsplash? 1. **Sign in to Unsplash.** Use your own account in its Cotlet Cloud Browser. 2. **Connect your AI agent.** Paste one address into Claude or ChatGPT. 3. **Ask in plain words.** Your agent searches, saves and tidies for you. We never keep your Unsplash password, and a public collection changes only after you say OK. ## How to connect Unsplash to your AI agent Three steps. Chat apps sign in with OAuth. Editors, n8n and scripts use an API key. 1. **Enable Unsplash for agents.** Sign up, log in to Unsplash in its Cloud Browser, then press Enable for agents. 2. **Add the Cotlet address.** Add https://cotlet.dev/mcp/v1 as an MCP server or connector in your agent. 3. **Approve the connection.** Chat apps ask you to sign in to Cotlet. Editors, n8n and scripts use an API key from the console. One shared address, `https://cotlet.dev/mcp/v1`, also carries Unsplash next to your other apps. If you enable Unsplash after connecting, refresh the connector so the new tools show up. Claude: ``` Settings > Connectors > Add custom connector URL: https://cotlet.dev/mcp/v1/connect Claude Code: claude mcp add --transport http cotlet-unsplash \ https://cotlet.dev/mcp/v1 \ --header "Authorization: Bearer $COTLET_API_KEY" ``` ChatGPT: ``` Settings > Apps & Connectors > Create MCP server URL: https://cotlet.dev/mcp/v1/connect Authentication: OAuth ``` Cursor: ``` // ~/.cursor/mcp.json { "mcpServers": { "cotlet-unsplash": { "url": "https://cotlet.dev/mcp/v1", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ${env:COTLET_API_KEY}" } } } } ``` Codex: ``` # ~/.codex/config.toml [mcp_servers.cotlet-unsplash] url = "https://cotlet.dev/mcp/v1" bearer_token_env_var = "COTLET_API_KEY" ``` n8n: ``` MCP Client Tool (inside an AI Agent) Transport: HTTP Streamable URL: https://cotlet.dev/mcp/v1 Auth: Bearer, ``` Make, Zapier: ``` Make: MCP Client > Call a tool Zapier: MCP Client by Zapier > Run Tool Server URL: https://cotlet.dev/mcp/v1 Token: ``` ## All 12 Unsplash MCP tools ### Photos get_photo returns the links and the photographer for a credit line. It does not download the file. - **Search photos** (`search_photos`, read): Search Unsplash photos by keyword. - **Get photo** (`get_photo`, read): Read one photo with its photographer, size and links. ### Collections Public collections of anyone, and private ones that your account owns. Any other private collection is not found. - **Search collections** (`search_collections`, read): Search public Unsplash collections by keyword. - **List collection photos** (`list_collection_photos`, read): List the photos inside one collection. - **List my collections** (`list_my_collections`, read): List the collections of the signed-in account, public and private. ### Photographers Only what the public profile shows. Pass the username from search_users, without the @. - **Search photographers** (`search_users`, read): Search Unsplash members and photographers by name or username. - **Get photographer** (`get_user`, read): Read the public profile of one Unsplash member. - **List photographer photos** (`list_user_photos`, read): List the photos of one Unsplash member. ### Collection edits Only collections your account owns. Public collections show every change to everyone on Unsplash, so those calls wait for your OK. - **Create collection** (`create_collection`, write, asks first): Create a new collection in your account. - **Update collection** (`update_collection`, write, asks first): Change the title, description or visibility of one of your collections. - **Add photo to collection** (`add_photo_to_collection`, write, asks first): Add a photo to one of your collections. - **Remove photo from collection** (`remove_photo_from_collection`, write): Remove a photo from one of your collections. Inputs, REST path and example response of every tool: https://cotlet.dev/integrations/unsplash-api-mcp-server#tools ## Who can see my Unsplash session, and how do I revoke it? - **What we store.** Your logged-in Unsplash profile, encrypted with AES-256-GCM, in Finland. Not the password. - **What your agent gets.** The 12 Unsplash tools. Never the cookie. - **What the session sees.** Your profile and collections, public and private. - **What no tool touches.** Unsplash+ billing, password, uploads and the account itself. - **If Unsplash signs you out.** Your agent gets a link to sign in again. You type the login, we never do. - **How to cut access.** Disable for agents or reset the browser in the Cotlet console, one click each. Our site scores A+ on Qualys SSL Labs, securityheaders.com and Mozilla Observatory ([live results](https://cotlet.dev/security.md)). There is no SOC 2 report or third-party pentest yet. ## What happens when Unsplash changes? - **12 h** between tests of the Unsplash tools - **$0** for a call to an Unsplash tool paused for repair When Unsplash moves a button or renames a field, the fix happens on our side and your prompts keep working. [status.cotlet.dev](https://status.cotlet.dev) watches the site, console and API every 3 minutes. ## Approvals, undo and mistakes 1. **Finds the collection.** Opens the collection by its ID from your own list. 2. **Checks the photo.** A photo already inside is not added twice. 3. **Waits for your OK.** The change shows up in your Cotlet console first. 4. **Reports the count.** Collection title, photo ID and the new photo count. | Action | Undo | |---|---| | Create a collection | Delete it in Unsplash, or make it private | | Change title, description or visibility | Run update_collection with the old values | | Add a photo | Run remove_photo_from_collection, one call | | Remove a photo | Run add_photo_to_collection, one call | | Searches and reads | Nothing to undo, they only read | 3 of 12 tools ask first: create_collection, update_collection, add_photo_to_collection. Removing a photo reaches no one and is undone in one call, so it runs at once. Switch the wait off per tool for a scheduled run. > Make a collection private while your agent fills it, then public when you are happy with it. Unsplash shows a public collection to everyone as soon as it changes. MCP call: ``` { "name": "add_photo_to_collection", "arguments": { "collection_id": "9034471", "photo_id": "Hy4kT9xQe2A" } } ``` REST: ``` curl -X POST https://cotlet.dev/api/v1/unsplash/collections/9034471/photos/Hy4kT9xQe2A/to-collection \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $COTLET_API_KEY" ``` Tool output: ``` { "collection_id": "9034471", "title": "Blog hero images", "photo_id": "Hy4kT9xQe2A", "total_photos": 25 } ``` Scripts and cron jobs reach the same tools over REST, with the same key and price. A collection that is not yours returns Unsplash's permission message, and a failed call costs nothing. ## How much does the Unsplash MCP server cost? **About $15 a month** for a content marketer picking photos for 8 posts, 2,560 credits. Unsplash itself stays free. | Job | Calls | Credits | |---|---|---| | Photos and credit lines for a post | 5 × 8 | 400 | | Campaign collection with 8 photos | 12 × 2 | 240 | | Weekly newsletter covers | 4 × 4 | 160 | | Clean up an old collection | 9 × 2 | 180 | | Look through a photographer's work | 4 × 2 | 80 | | Cloud Browser, 30 days | | 1,500 | | Total | | 2,560 | - Free 7-day trial, no card - 10 credits per successful call, MCP or REST - 50 credits a day for the Cloud Browser - No Unsplash API key and no request quota to manage The month is our example: photos and credit lines for 8 posts, 2 campaign collections, 4 weekly newsletter covers, 2 clean-ups and 2 photographer lookups. Unsplash publishes no typical account size. Photos are free under the Unsplash License; Unsplash+ is a separate paid plan (Unsplash, 6 Nov 2026). Dollars at the $29 pack rate. ## Unsplash MCP server on GitHub or hosted: which to use | Option | What it does | Where it stops | |---|---|---| | [Unsplash official MCP](https://claude.com/connectors/unsplash) | Hosted at mcp.unsplash.com. 23 tools: search, collections, bookmarks, illustrations. OAuth sign-in, in the Claude directory since July 2026. | No tool to read one photo or list a photographer's photos. Not in Unsplash's own docs. One app only. | | [hellokaton/unsplash-mcp-server](https://github.com/hellokaton/unsplash-mcp-server) | Python server for photo search. 239 stars, MIT, last commit 12 Oct 2026. | Search only. You register a developer app and keep the access key. | | [hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server](https://github.com/hanoak/unsplash-mcp-server) | Node server with 29 tools: photos, collections, topics, users, stats. 8 write tools after an OAuth sign-in. 3 stars, MIT, last commit 19 Aug 2026. | Runs on your computer with your own access key. | | [drumnation/unsplash-smart-mcp-server](https://github.com/drumnation/unsplash-smart-mcp-server) | One tool that searches, downloads and writes the attribution. 64 stars, MIT, last commit 17 Jan 2026. | One tool, no collections. Needs your access key. | | [Make](https://www.make.com/en/integrations/unsplash) | Unsplash app with 29 modules for scenarios. | Runs in Make scenarios, not in an AI chat. | Unsplash's own server is the first thing to try if you only search and fill collections in Claude. The GitHub servers suit a developer who wants a key and a local process. Cotlet adds photo and photographer reads, ChatGPT, scripts and schedules, hosted, with one sign-in for many apps. ## Who runs Cotlet Take Group sp. z o.o. runs Cotlet. It is a software company registered in Poland, EU (VAT PL6342984273), working since 2019, founded by Bart Krawczyk (Co-founder, CTO) and Jake Slugocki (Co-founder, SEO, sales and marketing). Write to contact@cotlet.dev with questions about the Unsplash tools. ## Unsplash MCP server: questions ### How do I connect Unsplash to ChatGPT or Claude? Sign up at cotlet.dev, log in to Unsplash once in its Cloud Browser and add Cotlet to ChatGPT or Claude, following the steps in your console. No API key is needed. ChatGPT and Claude then work in your Unsplash account through Cotlet, in their phone apps too. ### What can ChatGPT do in Unsplash? With Cotlet, ChatGPT, Claude and other AI agents handle jobs like these in Unsplash: find photos for a blog post; build a collection for a campaign; clean up an old collection. You ask in plain words, and anything that reaches other people waits for your OK first. ### How do I get access? Create a free account at https://cotlet.dev, open Unsplash under Integrations in the console and log in to Unsplash in its Cloud Browser. The trial starts with your first app, no card asked. ### Do I need an Unsplash developer app or access key? No. Cotlet works in your own Unsplash account, so there is no developer app, access key or OAuth setup. Unsplash's own API sends your access key with every call, and a new app starts in demo mode with 50 requests an hour (Unsplash API documentation, checked 6 Nov 2026). ### Do I have to credit the photographer? Under the Unsplash License, credit is optional but encouraged, and Unsplash suggests "Photo by [Photographer] on Unsplash" (Unsplash License, checked 6 Nov 2026). Every photo the agent returns carries the photographer's name and profile link, so the credit line is one step. Apps built on Unsplash's API have their own attribution rules in the API Terms. ### Can my agent upload photos or download files? No. The tools search and read photos, photographers and collections, and manage collections in your account. They return photo page and image links; they do not upload photos or save image files. ### Does Unsplash have an official MCP server? Yes. Unsplash runs a hosted server at https://mcp.unsplash.com/mcp, listed in Claude's connector directory as made by Unsplash with 23 tools and an OAuth sign-in (Claude directory, checked 6 Nov 2026). Unsplash's API documentation and help center do not mention it. Cotlet adds photo and photographer reads, ChatGPT, scripts and one account for many apps. ### Is the MCP server different from the REST API? Only the door is different. Both expose the same 12 tools, inputs and answers, with one API key and one price. Agents use MCP; scripts and HTTP steps use REST. ### Is Cotlet affiliated with Unsplash? No. Cotlet is independent and not affiliated with Unsplash. --- Give your AI agents your signed-in browser. **Product:** [Integrations](https://cotlet.dev/integrations.md) · [How it works](https://cotlet.dev/how-it-works.md) · [Pricing](https://cotlet.dev/pricing.md) · [Security](https://cotlet.dev/security.md) **Resources:** [Blog](https://cotlet.dev/blog.md) · [API docs](https://cotlet.dev/docs.md) · [Help center](https://cotlet.dev/help.md) · [Changelog](https://cotlet.dev/changelog.md) · [GitHub](https://github.com/cotletdev/cotlet) **Solutions:** [For developers](https://cotlet.dev/for-developers.md) · [For automation agencies](https://cotlet.dev/for-agencies.md) **Company:** [About](https://cotlet.dev/about.md) · [AI info: company facts](https://cotlet.dev/ai-info.md) · [Contact](https://cotlet.dev/contact.md) **Legal:** [Terms of service](https://cotlet.dev/terms) · [Privacy policy](https://cotlet.dev/privacy) · [Refund policy](https://cotlet.dev/refunds) · [Acceptable use](https://cotlet.dev/acceptable-use) · [Cookie policy](https://cotlet.dev/cookies) · [DPA](https://cotlet.dev/dpa) · [Subprocessors](https://cotlet.dev/subprocessors) **Elsewhere:** [Status page](https://status.cotlet.dev) · [Cotlet on GitHub](https://github.com/cotletdev) · [Cotlet on X](https://x.com/cotletdev) · [Cotlet on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/cotletdev) · [Cotlet on Product Hunt](https://www.producthunt.com/products/cotlet) · [Cotlet on Crunchbase](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/cotlet) · [Cotlet on SaaSHub](https://www.saashub.com/cotlet) Cotlet.dev is built by Bart Krawczyk and Jake Slugocki, the founders of Take Group sp. z o.o., ul. Wincentego Janasa 4, 40-855 Katowice, Poland. KRS 0000871398, NIP 6342984273, VAT EU: PL6342984273. [About us](https://cotlet.dev/about.md) Cotlet is an independent service. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any of the products listed on this site. Product names are trademarks of their respective owners.