Unsplash Smart MCP Server

Unsplash Smart MCP Server

The Unsplash Smart MCP Server is a purpose‑built FastMCP service that lets AI agents retrieve high‑quality, royalty‑free images from Unsplash with minimal friction. Instead of exposing a raw API that developers must wrap, the server presents a single, intuitive tool. When an assistant receives a natural‑language request—such as “show me a modern office interior” or “find an abstract background for my landing page”—the server interprets intent, searches Unsplash using the official API, and returns a curated list of image URLs. This eliminates repetitive tool calls and streamlines the visual content workflow for agents like Claude in Cursor or other MCP‑compatible assistants.

The server’s value lies in its intelligent context handling. It goes beyond keyword matching by analyzing the request’s purpose, automatically selecting subjects that best fit the desired mood or composition. For example, a prompt about “a cozy kitchen” will surface images with warm lighting and inviting details rather than generic flat‑lay shots. Developers benefit from this because the assistant can deliver relevant visuals without manual filtering, saving time and reducing cognitive load.

Key capabilities include:

• Single‑tool efficiency – one endpoint that handles search, recommendation, and download URL generation.
• Project‑aware organization – automatically creates framework‑specific directories (Next.js, React, Vue, etc.) and stores images in a structured layout that matches the project’s file conventions.
• Automatic attribution – compliance with Unsplash’s Terms of Service is baked in. The server tracks usage, embeds photographer metadata into images (EXIF/IPTC/XMP), and can generate attribution pages in multiple formats with a single API call.
• URL‑first workflow – by returning URLs first, the server allows downstream processes to control caching and storage, preventing unnecessary bandwidth usage.

In real‑world scenarios, this MCP server shines in content‑rich applications such as marketing sites, design tools, or chatbot interfaces that need dynamic imagery. A developer can quickly prototype a visual assistant that fetches images on demand, while the server handles all API rate limits, attribution compliance, and project file management behind the scenes. The result is a smoother developer experience, faster iteration cycles, and a reliable, standards‑compliant image supply chain.