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Connect Unsplash to ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini

Set it up once and it works in ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and any other client you love. It all runs safely in the background, so you can relax and focus on what really matters. Get high-resolution imagery without leaving your chat interface.

Ask AI about this Connector

Developed, maintained, and hosted by Vinkius.

MCP VERIFIED · PRODUCTION READY · VINKIUS GUARANTEED

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Works with modern AI clients that support MCP, including ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and more.

ChatGPTClaudeCursorPerplexityGeminiMicrosoft CopilotRaycastMeta AI

Your AI does the work. We keep it safe and sound.

No other AI tool gives you this. Your workflow runs in the client you already love, your account stays protected, and you decide what the agent can and cannot do. It is the whole reason to make the switch.

Each Connector lives inside our infrastructure, the same place where your workflow runs. The three things below are already part of it, working quietly in the background so you never have to think about them. Nothing to add, nothing to set up, nothing to worry about.

A futuristic MCP client docking bay
V8 Isolate01

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed environment.

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed V8 runtime — no access to your files, your system, or other servers. A Connector never sees past its own request.

Kill Switch02

One switch stops every agent. Instantly.

One action deactivates every Connector, revokes every token, and ends every session at once. AI Governance keeps the record.

FinOps per User03

Spending limits that pause instead of surprise.

Every user keeps their own connections and credentials, isolated from everyone else. Anything that would cross your spending limit is held for your approval, not billed.

Three controls, built into the layer your AI connects through.

Curated set · 10 capabilities

We ship only the actions that matter.

Capability set01 / 03

01-04

4 capabilities in this set.

Part of 10 available through Unsplash.

  1. 01

    Get photo details

    This capability pulls specific metadata and technical details for a single Unsplash photo.

  2. 02

    List editorial topics

    Use this to see a list of curated editorial categories like Nature or Architecture.

  3. 03

    List latest photos

    This capability fetches the most recent uploads from the Unsplash feed.

  4. 04

    Search collections

    Search for specific human-curated photo collections using keywords.

Capability set02 / 03

05-07

3 capabilities in this set.

Part of 10 available through Unsplash.

  1. 05

    Search photos

    This capability searches the global library to return photo IDs, URLs, and photographer info.

  2. 06

    Get random photo

    Get a single random high-resolution photo, optionally filtered by a specific query.

  3. 07

    Search photographers

    Find specific Unsplash contributors by their name or username.

Capability set03 / 03

08-10

3 capabilities in this set.

Part of 10 available through Unsplash.

  1. 08

    Get photographer photos

    Retrieve the full list of photos uploaded by a specific photographer.

  2. 09

    Get collection details

    Get deep metadata and information about a specific Unsplash collection.

  3. 10

    List collection photos

    Pull every photo contained within a specific collection ID.

Real work

What teams actually run

01

UI Prototyping

Instruct your agent to find placeholder images for a new dashboard layout.

02

Blog Content Creation

Ask for three minimalist coffee shop images to accompany a new article.

03

Mood Boarding

Query specific collections to find a consistent visual style for a brand project.

04

Creative Inspiration

Use the random photo capability to find unexpected visual ideas for a design concept.

Automate a task

Put Unsplash to work on one thing.

Step-by-step automations your AI runs through this Connector: the workflow, the prompts to start with, and the exact capabilities behind each move.

One connector, every AI

Unsplash works with the most popular AI clients.

These are the most popular clients, each with a step-by-step guide: one link, set up once, with governance and visibility built in. And because everything runs on the MCP standard, the same connection also works in any other compatible client — nothing to rebuild.

ClaudeClaudeChatGPTChatGPTGeminiGeminiPerplexityPerplexityGrokGrokMicrosoft CopilotMicrosoft CopilotCursorCursorVS CodeVS CodeWindsurfWindsurfJetBrainsJetBrainsClineClineLangChainLangChainVercel AI SDKVercel AI SDKLovableLovableZ.aiZ.aiRaycastRaycastQwen CodeQwen CodeKimi CodeKimi CodeLe ChatLe Chat

Building your own app? The connector is yours to use.

You don't need a client to put Unsplash to work: the same hosted connection plugs into your own applications and agent code, with the same governance on every request. Build with it, chat with it — one connection for both.

Observed, not estimated

959ms average. Fast in production.

Unsplash is checked daily against the live service.

Daily averagePeak 1160ms
Oct 3Today
Fastest day
791ms
Slowest day
1160ms
14-day trend
Stable+2%

Connect your client

One URL. Every client.

Activate the Connector, copy your link, and paste it into the client you already use. 10 capabilities arrive ready to run.

Preview access · not provider authentication

The vk_preview_* token belongs to Vinkius preview infrastructure. It lets Claude discover and display the capabilities of Unsplash, so you can see the experience inside your AI.

It does not authenticate your account with Unsplash. Actions requiring credentials or live account data may not run until you activate the Connector and authorize the service.

Unsplash Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_tVCspzUWSyNRd0SNraQ4VaQPmfAvyOIBUjZ8zjsu/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Unsplash capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unsplash-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_tVCspzUWSyNRd0SNraQ4VaQPmfAvyOIBUjZ8zjsu/mcp"
    }
  }
}
  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Step-by-step instructions for each client are in the guide. How to connect

Guided setup for Claude? Set up Unsplash in Claude and other AIs

See all the AI clients this connector works with ↑

Who it's for

Built for the work Unsplash owners hand off.

This MCP is built for anyone who needs to pull high-quality visuals into a digital workspace without manual searching.

  • 01

    Frontend Architects

    They ask the agent to pull random or specific placeholder images for React or HTML scaffolding.

  • 02

    Content Editors

    They request specific thematic images to use as direct hotlinks for blog posts.

  • 03

    Design Agencies

    They use the agent to fetch consistent thematic collections for client mood boards.

FAQ

Questions Unsplash owners ask.

  • 01

    Do I need my own Unsplash account?

    Yes, you will need to provide your own Unsplash Developer App Access Key to authenticate the connection.

  • 02

    Which AI clients can use this MCP?

    This MCP works with any compatible client, including Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf.

  • 03

    Can I get specific image resolutions?

    The MCP retrieves high-resolution imagery and provides the necessary metadata for the assets found.

  • 04

    How do I use the images in my code?

    Your agent will provide direct URLs that you can copy and paste into your img src tags or CSS files.

  • 05

    Is there a way to find specific photographers?

    Yes, you can use the search photographers capability to find specific users and then retrieve their full portfolios.

  • 06

    Can it automatically fetch 5 relevant images based on an abstract concept and give me direct URLs?

    Yes. Command the LLM using 'search_photos' with a query like 'Serenity' and 'per_page: 5'. It leverages the native search algorithm to bring back structured output containing precise image hotlinks alongside the photographers' names for attribution.

  • 07

    If I am building a mock UI, can it provide a purely random high-res placeholder image?

    A perfect use case! Instruct the AI to call 'get_random_photo'. It skips conventional heavy searches pulling one brilliant, random massive resolution photo. You can even filter the chaos slightly (e.g., random 'architecture').

  • 08

    How do I ensure I get photos only from a specific trusted photographer I like?

    If you know their handle, fire off the 'get_photographer_photos' payload. The bot will bypass generic listings entirely, retrieving paginated bundles of art exclusively captured and uploaded by that precise account profile natively.

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