# Unsplash API: Search photos > 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. Unofficial. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Unsplash. - Page: https://fous.com/methods/unsplash.com/search-photos - Method: `unsplash.com/search_photos`, version 1 - Website: unsplash.com - Returns: description, photographer, image links, size, likes, Unsplash+ flag, licence note, photo page link, photo ID, blur hash - 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 | `2` | Page of results for the requested count, for example 1. Default 1. | | `query` | string | yes | `"mountain lake"` | What the photos should show, for example team meeting. | | `max_results` | integer | no | `25` | Maximum photos per returned page, for example 20. Default 20. | | `orientation` | string | no | `"square"` | Photo shape to show, for example landscape. One of "any", "landscape", "portrait", "square". Default "any". | | `include_unsplash_plus` | boolean | no | | Include paid Unsplash+ photos, for example false. Default false. | ## Output From a run on Oct 31, 2026, shortened. Its input: ```json { "page": 2, "query": "mountain lake", "max_results": 25, "orientation": "square" } ``` Its output: ```json { "photos": [ { "likes": 1, "width": 3512, "height": 3512, "photo_id": "WW1vKFl-1A0", "blur_hash": "LbGvbNo~M_j?~VVsaxoL-=R-W=jY", "description": "a lake surrounded by mountains", "licence_note": "Free to use under the Unsplash License", "photo_page_link": "https://unsplash.com/photos/a-lake-surrounded-by-mountains-WW1vKFl-1A0", "is_unsplash_plus": false, "photographer_name": "Geoffrey Chevtchenko", "regular_image_link": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1660405821949-d77300248265?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MXxzZWFyY2h8MjZ8fG1vdW50YWluJTIwbGFrZXxlbnwwfDJ8fHwxNzkwNjQzMzQ5fDI&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080", "full_size_image_link": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1660405821949-d77300248265?crop=entropy&cs=srgb&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MXxzZWFyY2h8MjZ8fG1vdW50YWluJTIwbGFrZXxlbnwwfDJ8fHwxNzkwNjQzMzQ5fDI&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=85", "photographer_profile_link": "https://unsplash.com/@geoffreychevt" }, { "likes": 2, "width": 4160, "height": 4160, "photo_id": "jIhzqVGz6cU", "blur_hash": "LfFsJTDhaej]_4M_odae-=NGs8j[", "description": "a body of water surrounded by mountains", "licence_note": "Free to use under the Unsplash License", "photo_page_link": "https://unsplash.com/photos/a-body-of-water-surrounded-by-mountains-jIhzqVGz6cU", "is_unsplash_plus": false, "photographer_name": "Geoffrey Chevtchenko", "regular_image_link": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1660406111704-176de8d85b0f?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MXxzZWFyY2h8Mjd8fG1vdW50YWluJTIwbGFrZXxlbnwwfDJ8fHwxNzkwNjQzMzQ5fDI&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080", "full_size_image_link": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1660406111704-176de8d85b0f?crop=entropy&cs=srgb&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MXxzZWFyY2h8Mjd8fG1vdW50YWluJTIwbGFrZXxlbnwwfDJ8fHwxNzkwNjQzMzQ5fDI&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=85", "photographer_profile_link": "https://unsplash.com/@geoffreychevt" }, { "likes": 0, "width": 3512, "height": 3512, "photo_id": "HtDjgGliwaQ", "blur_hash": "LQDT;Ek=s+bc@qV@t7jbk;RjV?oz", "description": "a rocky beach with a body of water in the front", "licence_note": "Free to use under the Unsplash License", "photo_page_link": "https://unsplash.com/photos/a-rocky-beach-with-a-body-of-water-in-the-front-HtDjgGliwaQ", "is_unsplash_plus": false, "photographer_name": "Geoffrey Chevtchenko", "regular_image_link": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1660406058489-08b7932fcc68?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MXxzZWFyY2h8Mjh8fG1vdW50YWluJTIwbGFrZXxlbnwwfDJ8fHwxNzkwNjQzMzQ5fDI&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080", "full_size_image_link": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1660406058489-08b7932fcc68?crop=entropy&cs=srgb&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMjA3fDB8MXxzZWFyY2h8Mjh8fG1vdW50YWluJTIwbGFrZXxlbnwwfDJ8fHwxNzkwNjQzMzQ5fDI&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=85", "photographer_profile_link": "https://unsplash.com/@geoffreychevt" } ] } ``` ## 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":"unsplash.com/search_photos","input":{"page":2,"query":"mountain lake","max_results":25,"orientation":"square"}}' ``` 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 10 landscape-oriented free photos of misty pine forests at dawn that I can use as a website hero banner, with photographer credits. - I need portrait-shaped stock images of a barista pouring latte art — give me the image links, who shot them, and the license info. - Search Unsplash for square photos of 'golden retriever puppy', include the Unsplash+ premium ones too, and show page 2 of results. - Pull up around 30 photos of people collaborating in a modern office for a pitch deck; any orientation is fine, but only free ones. - What are the top results on unsplash.com for 'Tokyo street at night neon'? I want image URLs, like counts, and blur hashes for lazy-loading placeholders. ## Input schema ```json { "type": "object", "required": [ "query" ], "properties": { "page": { "type": "integer", "default": 1, "minimum": 1, "description": "Page of results for the requested count, for example 1." }, "query": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1, "description": "What the photos should show, for example team meeting." }, "max_results": { "type": "integer", "default": 20, "maximum": 100, "minimum": 1, "description": "Maximum photos per returned page, for example 20." }, "orientation": { "enum": [ "any", "landscape", "portrait", "square" ], "type": "string", "default": "any", "description": "Photo shape to show, for example landscape." }, "include_unsplash_plus": { "type": "boolean", "default": false, "description": "Include paid Unsplash+ photos, for example false." } } } ``` ## Output schema ```json { "type": "object", "required": [ "photos" ], "properties": { "photos": { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "object", "required": [ "description", "photographer_name", "photographer_profile_link", "regular_image_link", "full_size_image_link", "width", "height", "likes", "is_unsplash_plus", "licence_note", "photo_page_link", "photo_id", "blur_hash" ], "properties": { "likes": { "type": [ "integer", "null" ], "description": "Number of likes." }, "width": { "type": [ "integer", "null" ], "description": "Image width in pixels." }, "height": { "type": [ "integer", "null" ], "description": "Image height in pixels." }, "photo_id": { "type": "string", "description": "Unsplash photo ID." }, "blur_hash": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "Blur hash for a preview." }, "description": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "Photo description, or null if not available." }, "licence_note": { "type": "string", "description": "Licence requirement for this photo." }, "photo_page_link": { "type": "string", "description": "Photo page on Unsplash." }, "is_unsplash_plus": { "type": "boolean", "description": "Whether the image requires an Unsplash+ licence." }, "photographer_name": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "Photographer name." }, "regular_image_link": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "Image around 1080 pixels wide." }, "full_size_image_link": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "Full-size image." }, "photographer_profile_link": { "type": [ "string", "null" ], "description": "Photographer profile page." } } } } } } ``` ## See more - [Pexels API: Search photos](https://fous.com/methods/pexels.com/search-photos.md): 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. - [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. - [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. - [Google API: Search Chrome extensions](https://fous.com/methods/chromewebstore.google.com/search-extensions.md): Finds Chrome Web Store extensions by keywords in store order, with each listing's developer, users, rating, rating count, short description and store link. Some listings omit developer, users or ratings. - [Bluesky API: Search posts](https://fous.com/methods/bsky.app/search-posts.md): Searches public Bluesky posts for words, optionally ordered by latest or top and filtered by date, author or language. Search indexing may lag behind new posts. - [Bing API: Search the web](https://fous.com/methods/bing.com/search-web.md): Searches Bing and returns web results in the order shown, with snippets, answer-box text when available, and related searches. - [Product Hunt API: Search products](https://fous.com/methods/producthunt.com/search-products.md): Finds Product Hunt products by name or by what they do, in Product Hunt search order, with tagline, review rating, review count, followers and topics. Ratings are null for products without reviews.