Wikimedia Commons
Free images, image licences and image credits
Discover freely licensed photos and other images from Wikimedia Commons.
Your information
What the image should show, for example Golden Gate Bridge at night.
Maximum number of images to return, for example 20.
Example results
Images
About the Wikimedia Commons tool
Wikimedia Commons (Commons) finds free-to-use images for a topic, returning links, creator and licensing details; it needs a search query.
Built from commons.wikimedia.org. Last checked Sep 29, 2026.
Actions
Search free images
1 creditFind free-to-use Wikimedia Commons images for a topic, ordered by Commons relevance, with image links, creator and licensing details. Licensing and creator fields depend on the details supplied by each file page; public-domain files may link to the file’s licensing section.
What you provide
| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Queryquery | Text | Required | What the image should show, for example Golden Gate Bridge at night.Example: Golden Gate Bridge at night |
Max Resultsmax_results | Number | Optional | Maximum number of images to return, for example 20.Example: 20 |
What you get
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
Imagesimages | List | Images in Commons relevance order. |
Titleimages[].title | Text | File title without the File: prefix.Example: Golden Gate Bridge by night.jpg |
Widthimages[].width | Number | Original width in pixels.Example: 1800 |
Authorimages[].author | Text | Creator in plain text, when credited.Example: Daniel Schwen |
Heightimages[].height | Number | Original height in pixels.Example: 1283 |
Descriptionimages[].description | Text | Plain-text image description, when available.Example: Golden Gate Bridge at looking south-south-east by night looking south across… |
Licence Linkimages[].licence_link | Text | Licence terms or the licensing section of the file page.Example: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ |
Licence Nameimages[].licence_name | Text | Named licence or public-domain status.Example: CC BY-SA 3.0 |
File Page Linkimages[].file_page_link | Text | Wikimedia Commons file page.Example: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_Gate_Bridge_by_night.jpg |
Thumbnail Linkimages[].thumbnail_link | Text | Link to a thumbnail about 640 pixels wide.Example: https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Golden_Gate_Bridge_by_… |
Attribution Textimages[].attribution_text | Text | Ready-to-paste credit including the source and licence.Example: "Golden Gate Bridge by night.jpg" by Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 3.0… |
Original Image Linkimages[].original_image_link | Text | Link to the full-size image.Example: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Golden_Gate_Bridge_by_night… |
Attribution Requiredimages[].attribution_required | Yes or no | Whether the stated licence requires creator credit.Example: Yes |
Example result
For Query: Golden Gate Bridge at night, Max Results: 20
{
"images": [
{
"title": "Golden Gate Bridge by night.jpg",
"width": 1800,
"author": "Daniel Schwen",
"height": 1283,
"description": "Golden Gate Bridge at looking south-south-east by night looking south across the Golden Gate towards San Francisco.",
"licence_link": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/",
"licence_name": "CC BY-SA 3.0",
"file_page_link": "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_Gate_Bridge_by_night.jpg",
"thumbnail_link": "https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Golden_Gate_Bridge_by_night.jpg/960px-Golden_Gate_Bridge_by_night.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumb…",
"attribution_text": "\"Golden Gate Bridge by night.jpg\" by Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/), via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Golden_Gate_Bridge_by_…",
"original_image_link": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Golden_Gate_Bridge_by_night.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=original",
"attribution_required": true
}
]
}For developers
Call it from your code with one request. Change the values in input to run it on new data. To get an API key, open Developers at the bottom of Studio, turn on Developer mode and go to API keys.
curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
--fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 180 \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data-raw '{
"api": "@wikimedia-commons",
"visibility": "public",
"operation": "search_free_images",
"version": 1,
"input": {
"query": "Golden Gate Bridge at night",
"max_results": 20
},
"response": {
"format": "json"
}
}'What you can do with it
- Find images for a presentation on a specific topic
- Check image licence details before publishing
- Prepare image credits for a project
- Browse relevant Commons images for editorial content
Questions about Wikimedia Commons
Can I run it with my own inputs?
Yes. Change the inputs in Studio and press Run, or send new inputs from your code, or ask a connected AI assistant.
Can I call this Wikimedia Commons tool as an API?
Yes. Send a POST request to /v1/query with your Fous API key and the inputs, and get JSON back.
How much does it cost?
Each completed run costs 1 credit. Failed runs without a completed receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted. With pay as you go, a credit costs 1¢. Monthly plans cost less per credit.
Do I need a Wikimedia Commons account?
No. You only need a Fous account.
How current is the data?
Fous gets the data from commons.wikimedia.org when you run it. Some results are reused for up to 24 hours, and results that use your account or key are never reused. It was last verified on Sep 29, 2026.
What images are available for my topic?
Search free images finds images for a topic, ordered by Commons relevance.
Who created an image, and what licence applies?
Search free images returns creator and licensing details when those details are supplied on the file page.
Where can I find an image’s full-size file?
Search free images returns a link to the original image and its Wikimedia Commons file page.