# Pexels API: Search photos

> Search free stock photos on Pexels by subject, orientation, and page. Returns up to 80 photos in search order; Pexels may broaden searches with few exact matches.

Unofficial. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Pexels.

- Page: https://fous.com/methods/pexels.com/search-photos
- Method: `pexels.com/search_photos`, version 1
- Website: pexels.com
- Returns: photo description, photographer, image links, size, licence, photo page
- Effect: read (it gets data and changes nothing)
- Sign-in: none needed
- Cost: 1 credit per completed run (1¢ with pay as you go); failed runs are free
- Verified: Nov 2, 2026

## Inputs

| Field | Type | Required | In the run below | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `page` | integer | no |  | Results page, e.g. 2. Default 1. |
| `query` | string | yes | `"office teamwork"` | What the photo should show, e.g. office teamwork. |
| `max_results` | integer | no |  | Most photos to return, e.g. 20. Default 20. |
| `orientation` | string | no |  | Image orientation, e.g. landscape. One of "any", "landscape", "portrait", "square". Default "any". |

## Output

From a run on Oct 31, 2026, shortened. Its input:

```json
{
  "query": "office teamwork"
}
```

Its output:

```json
{
  "photos": [
    {
      "width": 5236,
      "height": 3491,
      "photo_id": 6192762,
      "description": "Arrangement of office supplies around teamwork text on black background.",
      "licence_note": "Free to use under the Pexels License",
      "photographer": "KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA",
      "average_colour": "#080F18",
      "photo_page_link": "https://www.pexels.com/photo/silver-and-black-pens-on-a-black-surface-6192762/",
      "large_image_link": "https://images.pexels.com/photos/6192762/pexels-photo-6192762.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=1880",
      "original_image_link": "https://images.pexels.com/photos/6192762/pexels-photo-6192762.jpeg",
      "photographer_profile_link": "https://www.pexels.com/@ekaterina-bolovtsova/"
    },
    {
      "width": 3690,
      "height": 5535,
      "photo_id": 8276211,
      "description": "Coworkers joining fists over office desk, symbolizing teamwork and motivation.",
      "licence_note": "Free to use under the Pexels License",
      "photographer": "PNW Production",
      "average_colour": "#726253",
      "photo_page_link": "https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-coworkers-in-an-office-fistbumping-8276211/",
      "large_image_link": "https://images.pexels.com/photos/8276211/pexels-photo-8276211.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=1880",
      "original_image_link": "https://images.pexels.com/photos/8276211/pexels-photo-8276211.jpeg",
      "photographer_profile_link": "https://www.pexels.com/@pnw-prod/"
    },
    {
      "width": 4000,
      "height": 6000,
      "photo_id": 12903168,
      "description": "Professional team collaborating on a project in a well-lit office space.",
      "licence_note": "Free to use under the Pexels License",
      "photographer": "Mizuno K",
      "average_colour": "#9D9C98",
      "photo_page_link": "https://www.pexels.com/photo/employees-cooperating-in-office-12903168/",
      "large_image_link": "https://images.pexels.com/photos/12903168/pexels-photo-12903168.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=1880",
      "original_image_link": "https://images.pexels.com/photos/12903168/pexels-photo-12903168.jpeg",
      "photographer_profile_link": "https://www.pexels.com/@mizunokozuki/"
    }
  ]
}
```

## Run it

From code, with a Fous API key in `FOUS_API_KEY`; the answer's `data` holds the output:

```bash
curl https://api.fous.com/v1/runs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"method":"pexels.com/search_photos","input":{"query":"office teamwork"}}'
```

From an AI agent connected to the Fous MCP server: its `run` with the same method and input. To connect one, give it `set up https://fous.com/SKILL.md`.

## Ask your agent

- Find me 30 free landscape-oriented stock photos of misty mountain lakes at sunrise for a website hero banner.
- I need portrait-format images of a barista pouring latte art, free to use commercially — show me who took each one and the licence.
- Pull page 3 of Pexels results for 'remote work home office' so I can see more options beyond what I've already browsed.
- Get square photos of fresh vegetables on a wooden table that I can use for Instagram posts, around 15 of them.
- Search Pexels for 'diverse team brainstorming whiteboard' photos, any orientation, and give me download links and image dimensions.

## Input schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "query"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "page": {
      "type": "integer",
      "default": 1,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Results page, e.g. 2."
    },
    "query": {
      "type": "string",
      "minLength": 1,
      "description": "What the photo should show, e.g. office teamwork."
    },
    "max_results": {
      "type": "integer",
      "default": 20,
      "maximum": 80,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Most photos to return, e.g. 20."
    },
    "orientation": {
      "enum": [
        "any",
        "landscape",
        "portrait",
        "square"
      ],
      "type": "string",
      "default": "any",
      "description": "Image orientation, e.g. landscape."
    }
  }
}
```

## Output schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "photos"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "photos": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "object",
        "required": [
          "description",
          "photographer",
          "photographer_profile_link",
          "large_image_link",
          "original_image_link",
          "width",
          "height",
          "licence_note",
          "photo_page_link",
          "photo_id",
          "average_colour"
        ],
        "properties": {
          "width": {
            "type": "integer",
            "description": "Original photo width in pixels."
          },
          "height": {
            "type": "integer",
            "description": "Original photo height in pixels."
          },
          "photo_id": {
            "type": "integer",
            "description": "Pexels photo ID."
          },
          "description": {
            "type": [
              "string",
              "null"
            ],
            "description": "Photo alt text."
          },
          "licence_note": {
            "type": "string",
            "description": "Pexels licence summary."
          },
          "photographer": {
            "type": [
              "string",
              "null"
            ],
            "description": "Photographer name."
          },
          "average_colour": {
            "type": [
              "string",
              "null"
            ],
            "description": "Approximate main colour as a hex code."
          },
          "photo_page_link": {
            "type": "string",
            "description": "Photo page on Pexels."
          },
          "large_image_link": {
            "type": "string",
            "description": "Image link about 1880 pixels wide."
          },
          "original_image_link": {
            "type": "string",
            "description": "Original image link."
          },
          "photographer_profile_link": {
            "type": [
              "string",
              "null"
            ],
            "description": "Photographer Pexels profile link."
          }
        },
        "additionalProperties": false
      },
      "description": "Photos in Pexels search order."
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false
}
```

## See more

- [Pexels API: Search videos](https://fous.com/methods/pexels.com/search-videos.md): Finds free stock videos on Pexels by search words, with creator, duration, preview image and a direct MP4 link, in Pexels search order starting at the chosen results page.
- [Unsplash API: Search photos](https://fous.com/methods/unsplash.com/search-photos.md): Finds Unsplash photos matching a search phrase, in search order, optionally by shape; excludes Unsplash+ photos unless included. Each result has image links, photographer, licence and photo page.
- [Wikimedia Commons API: Search free images](https://fous.com/methods/commons.wikimedia.org/search-free-images.md): Finds free-to-use Wikimedia Commons images for a topic in Commons relevance order. Each image comes with its links, creator and licence details.
- [Pinterest API: Search pins](https://fous.com/methods/pinterest.com/search-pins.md): Finds Pinterest pins for an idea in search order, with image, creator, board, saves and linked website. Limited to the first public search page.
- [Open Food Facts API: Search packaged foods](https://fous.com/methods/openfoodfacts.org/search-products.md): Searches Open Food Facts packaged foods by name, optionally filtered by diet, country where sold and brand, ordered by popularity (most scanned first).
- [PyPI API: Search packages](https://fous.com/methods/pypi.org/search-packages.md): Searches PyPI by keywords and returns matching packages in relevance order, each with its latest version and that version's release date. Returns up to 100 results.
- [Apartments.com API: Search apartments](https://fous.com/methods/apartments.com/search-apartments.md): Searches Apartments.com rentals by city, neighborhood, or ZIP code, with optional rent, bedroom, pet, and page filters. Rent and availability wording is returned when displayed; missing details are null.
- [bhphotovideo.com API: Search B&H Photo products](https://fous.com/methods/bhphotovideo.com/search-products.md): Searches B&H Photo products by keywords, with optional price range and sort order, and returns prices, savings, stock, ratings, identifiers, images and links in site order. Exact category names fall back to phrase matching to show products.
- [All Pexels methods](https://fous.com/methods/pexels.com.md)