# unsplash

This skill searches Unsplash by keyword or pulls random photos, and hands back ready-made attribution. Useful when a post or layout needs images.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 548 installs
- Author: cevatkerim
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/cevatkerim/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/unsplash/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-01-25
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/unsplash

## What it does

Three bash scripts wrap the Unsplash API. `search.sh` takes a query plus filters for page, results per page, sort order, orientation and color. `random.sh` returns random shots, optionally narrowed to a topic and orientation. `track.sh` registers a download, which the Unsplash API expects.

Every call returns JSON: URLs at several sizes (`raw`, `full`, `regular`, `small`, `thumb`), width, height, dominant color, blur hash, photographer name and profile, plus `attribution_text` and `attribution_html`. For web use it recommends `urls.regular` at 1080px wide.

You need an access key before the first call. When a script reports `UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY not set`, the skill asks you for the key, appends it to `.env` in the project root and reads it from there on later runs. Dependencies are `bash`, `curl` and `jq`; without `jq` the scripts cannot parse the response. Demo mode allows 50 requests per hour, so a batch of images for one page will hit that ceiling. Dropping the attribution is not an option — Unsplash API terms treat it as grounds to suspend access.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add cevatkerim/skills --skill unsplash -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/unsplash/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/unsplash/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add cevatkerim/skills --skill unsplash -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/unsplash/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add cevatkerim/skills --skill unsplash -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/unsplash/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install cevatkerim/skills unsplash
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/unsplash/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add cevatkerim/skills --skill unsplash -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/cevatkerim/skills --path skills/unsplash
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/unsplash/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add cevatkerim/skills --skill unsplash -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/cevatkerim/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/unsplash/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- find a photo for a blog post by keyword
- pull random topic images for a gallery
- filter results by orientation to fit a layout
- match images to a brand color
- build a credit line with photographer and Unsplash link

## Example prompts
- Find three landscape photos for "technology workspace" and show them with attribution
- Give me five random photos about architecture
- Track the download of photo abc123xyz

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: ec90c4e6f7f14da9.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE ec90c4e6f7f14da9
````text
---
name: unsplash
description: Search and fetch photos from Unsplash with proper attribution. Use when users need images for content, want photos by keyword, need random images for variety, or ask for stock photos. Automatically provides attribution required by Unsplash guidelines.
version: 1.0.0
license: MIT
---

# Unsplash Photo Search

Search and fetch high-quality photos from Unsplash with automatic attribution.

## Quick Start

```bash
# Search for photos
./scripts/search.sh "sunset beach"

# Get random photos
./scripts/random.sh "nature" 3

# Track download (when user downloads)
./scripts/track.sh PHOTO_ID
```

## Setup (Interactive)

**IMPORTANT:** If the script returns `UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY not set`, handle it interactively:

1. Ask the user: "I need an Unsplash API key to search for photos. You can get a free key at https://unsplash.com/developers - do you have one?"

2. Wait for the user to provide their key

3. Save the key to `.env` in the project root:
   ```bash
   echo "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY=<user_provided_key>" >> .env
   ```

4. Re-run the original search/random command

The skill automatically loads `.env` from the project root on each run.

## Operations

### 1. Search Photos

Find photos by keyword with optional filters.

```bash
./scripts/search.sh QUERY [PAGE] [PER_PAGE] [ORDER_BY] [ORIENTATION] [COLOR]
```

**Parameters:**
- `QUERY` (required): Search keyword(s)
- `PAGE` (optional, default: 1): Page number for pagination
- `PER_PAGE` (optional, default: 10): Results per page (1-30)
- `ORDER_BY` (optional, default: "relevant"): Sort order ("relevant" or "latest")
- `ORIENTATION` (optional): Filter by orientation ("landscape", "portrait", "squarish")
- `COLOR` (optional): Filter by color ("black_and_white", "black", "white", "yellow", "orange", "red", "purple", "magenta", "green", "teal", "blue")

**Examples:**
```bash
# Basic search
./scripts/search.sh "mountain landscape"

# Search with filters
./scripts/search.sh "sunset" 1 5 latest landscape

# Search by color
./scripts/search.sh "flower" 1 10 relevant portrait red
```

### 2. Random Photos

Get random photos with optional filtering.

```bash
./scripts/random.sh [QUERY] [COUNT] [ORIENTATION]
```

**Parameters:**
- `QUERY` (optional): Topic/keyword to filter random photos
- `COUNT` (optional, default: 1): Number of photos (1-30)
- `ORIENTATION` (optional): Filter by orientation ("landscape", "portrait", "squarish")

**Examples:**
```bash
# Single random photo
./scripts/random.sh

# Random photos by topic
./scripts/random.sh "architecture" 5

# Random landscape photos
./scripts/random.sh "nature" 3 landscape
```

### 3. Track Download

Track when a user downloads a photo (required by Unsplash API guidelines).

```bash
./scripts/track.sh PHOTO_ID
```

**When to call:**
- When user actually downloads/saves the image file
- NOT when just viewing or displaying the photo
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE ec90c4e6f7f14da9

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the ec90c4e6f7f14da9 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

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