Is the image-resolver MCP server free to use?

Yes. image-resolver is listed on AllMCPs as a free, open Model Context Protocol server you can install into Claude Desktop, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client.

Is the image-resolver MCP server free to use?

Yes. image-resolver is listed on AllMCPs as a free, open Model Context Protocol server you can install into Claude Desktop, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client.

Image Resolver

MCP server for context-aware royalty-free image search from Pexels and Unsplash

Quick Install

Automated & IDE Setup

Copy the AI prompt to install this server into Claude Code, Cursor, or another agent — or use 1-click editor setup below.

Add to Cursor Add to VS Code

Manual Client & Custom JSON ConfigExpand JSON ▾

Install Config Generator

Choose your client

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "image-resolver": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "image-resolver"
      ]
    }
  }
}

💡 Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows)

Documentation Overview

MCP Image Resolver Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides royalty-free image search for AI hosts like Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, Windsurf, and more. Ask your AI assistant to find images by natural language—it uses the search_images tool and returns structured results from Pexels and Unsplash.

Features

search_images — Search for royalty-free images (supports limit, page, orientation)
extract_image_query — Transform free-form text into an image search query
get_best_image — Return a single best image for a query
search_images_batch — Run multiple searches in parallel
resolve_image_attribution — Generate provider-compliant attribution text
Pexels & Unsplash — Multi-provider support (free tier for both)
Unified response — Structured results with url, source, dimensions, photographer, tags
Works everywhere — Any MCP client that supports stdio servers

Requirements

Node.js 18+
At least one API key: Pexels (pexels.com/api) and/or Unsplash (unsplash.com/oauth/applications)

Quick Start (No Installation Required)

No cloning or building needed. Just add this config to your MCP client and it runs via npx automatically:

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "image-resolver": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@ahmaddioxide/mcp-image-resolver"],
      "env": {
        "PEXELS_API_KEY": "your-pexels-api-key",
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "your-unsplash-access-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

At least one API key is required. Both are free — get them here:

Pexels: pexels.com/api
Unsplash: unsplash.com/oauth/applications

Architecture (High-Level)

Code

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                           MCP Client (Cursor, Claude, VS Code, etc.)        │
│                                     │                                       │
│                            stdio (stdin/stdout)                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┘
                                      │
                                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                         MCP Image Resolver Server                           │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │  index.ts          MCP server entry, registers tools, stdio transport│   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                      │                                      │
│                                      ▼                                      │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │  tools/search-images.ts   Tool handler: search_images(query)         │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                      │                                      │
│                                      ▼                                      │
│  ┌──────────────────────┐  ┌──────────────────────┐                        │
│  │  providers/pexels.ts  │  │ providers/unsplash.ts │                        │
│  │  Pexels API adapter   │  │ Unsplash API adapter  │──▶ ImageResult schema  │
│  └──────────────────────┘  └──────────────────────┘                        │
│               │                        │                                    │
│               └────────────────────────┴────▶ utils/normalize.ts            │
└─────────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┘
                                      │
                    ┌─────────────────┴─────────────────┐
                    ▼                                   ▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐    ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Pexels API                  │    │  Unsplash API                             │
│  api.pexels.com              │    │  api.unsplash.com                         │
└──────────────────────────────┘    └──────────────────────────────────────────┘

Flow: MCP client → stdio → index.ts (registers tools) → search-images.ts → Pexels and Unsplash providers (when keys are set). Results are merged (Pexels first, then Unsplash) and normalized to the unified ImageResult schema.

Client Setup

Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json (project) or ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global):

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "image-resolver": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@ahmaddioxide/mcp-image-resolver"],
      "env": {
        "PEXELS_API_KEY": "your-pexels-api-key",
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "your-unsplash-access-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Cursor after config changes.

Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude config file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Via Settings: Developer → Edit Config

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "image-resolver": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@ahmaddioxide/mcp-image-resolver"],
      "env": {
        "PEXELS_API_KEY": "your-pexels-api-key",
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "your-unsplash-access-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop completely after saving.

VS Code

Add to .vscode/mcp.json (workspace) or your user profile mcp.json:

config.json

{
  "servers": {
    "image-resolver": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@ahmaddioxide/mcp-image-resolver"],
      "env": {
        "PEXELS_API_KEY": "your-pexels-api-key",
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "your-unsplash-access-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: VS Code uses servers (not mcpServers) and requires "type": "stdio".

Windsurf

Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "image-resolver": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@ahmaddioxide/mcp-image-resolver"],
      "env": {
        "PEXELS_API_KEY": "your-pexels-api-key",
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "your-unsplash-access-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Refresh the MCP config after changes.

Other MCP Clients

Any client that supports stdio MCP servers (Amp, Continue.dev, Amazon Q, etc.) can use this server:

Command: npx
Args: ["-y", "@ahmaddioxide/mcp-image-resolver"]
Env: { "PEXELS_API_KEY": "your-key", "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "your-key" } (at least one required)

Usage

Once configured, ask your AI assistant to find images in natural language. It will call the search_images tool automatically.

Example prompts:

"Find royalty-free images of a sunset mosque"
"Search for zen yoga images suitable for a wellness app"
"Get some minimalist office workspace photos"
"Find images for a cooking blog header"

The tool returns image URLs and metadata. Use the links to view or download images.

Tool Schema

Tool	Params	Description
search_images	query, limit?, page?, orientation?	Search images from Pexels and Unsplash
extract_image_query	context	Extract search terms from free-form text
get_best_image	query, orientation?	Return a single best image
search_images_batch	queries, limit?	Run multiple searches in parallel
resolve_image_attribution	photographer, source, url?	Generate attribution text

Response: JSON with results array of { url, source, width, height, photographer, tags }. Each result includes source ("Pexels" or "Unsplash") for attribution.

Note: When both providers are configured, results are merged with Pexels first, then Unsplash. Use limit: 20 or higher to see results from both providers in a single search.

Testing

Example prompts to verify the tools:

"Search for mountain landscape with limit 20 and show me which results came from Pexels vs Unsplash."
"Use extract_image_query on: I need a hero image for a meditation app with mountains."
"Use search_images_batch for 'sunset mosque', 'pakistani flag', and 'zen yoga'."
"Get a single best image for coffee shop and generate attribution for it."

Development

To contribute or run locally, clone the repo and build from source:

bash

git clone https://github.com/ahmaddioxide/image-resolver-mcp.git
cd image-resolver-mcp
npm install
cp .env.example .env
# Add PEXELS_API_KEY and/or UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY to .env
npm run build

Or run in development mode without building, using tsx:

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "image-resolver": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["tsx", "/path/to/image-resolver-mcp/src/index.ts"],
      "env": {
        "PEXELS_API_KEY": "your-pexels-api-key",
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "your-unsplash-access-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Attribution

Images are sourced from Pexels and Unsplash. Per their API terms:

Provide prominent links to Pexels and Unsplash
Credit photographers: "Photo by [Name] on Pexels" / "Photo by [Name] on Unsplash"
Response metadata includes photographer and source; use resolve_image_attribution for compliant text

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. Please read CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines and CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md for community standards. See SECURITY.md for vulnerability reporting.

License

MIT — see LICENSE.

Related MCP Servers

View all in Developer Tools View all alternatives

Frequently Asked Questions about Image Resolver

Add the following block to your claude_desktop_config.json under mcpServers: "mcpServers": { "image-resolver": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "image-resolver"] } }

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Technical Specs & Signals

CategoryDeveloper Tools

0/4 checks healthy over the last 6h

29Quality signal: Emerging · 29/100How this signal is calculated ▾

Server availabilityNot measured

Not scored for repo-hosted servers — we can't reach the running server, only its GitHub page. Hosted MCP endpoints are health-checked live.

Verified ownership8/20

Documentation & tools11/30

Adoption & activity3/15

Community engagement0/10

A guidance signal from public completeness & health data — not a user rating. New listings start lower and rise as they add docs, get verified, and grow adoption. Signals we can't observe for a listing are skipped, not counted against it.

★ Featured

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This directory is pre-filled from public sources. Claim via GitHub README, site badge, or DNS TXT to get the verified badge and attach your website.

Free dofollow backlink: after claiming, verify your product site and place a dofollow AllMCPs badge — we recheck it stays live.

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More in 💻 Developer Tools →Best MCP servers for Developers →Alternatives to Image Resolver →Install in Claude Desktop Install in Cursor Install in VS Code

Image Resolver

MCP server for context-aware royalty-free image search from Pexels and Unsplash

Quick Install

Automated & IDE Setup

Copy the AI prompt to install this server into Claude Code, Cursor, or another agent — or use 1-click editor setup below.

Add to Cursor Add to VS Code

Manual Client & Custom JSON ConfigExpand JSON ▾

Install Config Generator

Choose your client

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "image-resolver": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "image-resolver"
      ]
    }
  }
}

💡 Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows)

Documentation Overview

MCP Image Resolver Server

Features

search_images — Search for royalty-free images (supports limit, page, orientation)
extract_image_query — Transform free-form text into an image search query
get_best_image — Return a single best image for a query
search_images_batch — Run multiple searches in parallel
resolve_image_attribution — Generate provider-compliant attribution text
Pexels & Unsplash — Multi-provider support (free tier for both)
Unified response — Structured results with url, source, dimensions, photographer, tags
Works everywhere — Any MCP client that supports stdio servers

Requirements

Node.js 18+
At least one API key: Pexels (pexels.com/api) and/or Unsplash (unsplash.com/oauth/applications)

Quick Start (No Installation Required)

No cloning or building needed. Just add this config to your MCP client and it runs via npx automatically:

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "image-resolver": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@ahmaddioxide/mcp-image-resolver"],
      "env": {
        "PEXELS_API_KEY": "your-pexels-api-key",
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "your-unsplash-access-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

At least one API key is required. Both are free — get them here:

Pexels: pexels.com/api
Unsplash: unsplash.com/oauth/applications

Architecture (High-Level)

Code

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                           MCP Client (Cursor, Claude, VS Code, etc.)        │
│                                     │                                       │
│                            stdio (stdin/stdout)                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┘
                                      │
                                      ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                         MCP Image Resolver Server                           │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │  index.ts          MCP server entry, registers tools, stdio transport│   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                      │                                      │
│                                      ▼                                      │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │  tools/search-images.ts   Tool handler: search_images(query)         │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                      │                                      │
│                                      ▼                                      │
│  ┌──────────────────────┐  ┌──────────────────────┐                        │
│  │  providers/pexels.ts  │  │ providers/unsplash.ts │                        │
│  │  Pexels API adapter   │  │ Unsplash API adapter  │──▶ ImageResult schema  │
│  └──────────────────────┘  └──────────────────────┘                        │
│               │                        │                                    │
│               └────────────────────────┴────▶ utils/normalize.ts            │
└─────────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┘
                                      │
                    ┌─────────────────┴─────────────────┐
                    ▼                                   ▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐    ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Pexels API                  │    │  Unsplash API                             │
│  api.pexels.com              │    │  api.unsplash.com                         │
└──────────────────────────────┘    └──────────────────────────────────────────┘

Client Setup

Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json (project) or ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global):

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "image-resolver": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@ahmaddioxide/mcp-image-resolver"],
      "env": {
        "PEXELS_API_KEY": "your-pexels-api-key",
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "your-unsplash-access-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Cursor after config changes.

Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude config file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Via Settings: Developer → Edit Config

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "image-resolver": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@ahmaddioxide/mcp-image-resolver"],
      "env": {
        "PEXELS_API_KEY": "your-pexels-api-key",
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "your-unsplash-access-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop completely after saving.

VS Code

Add to .vscode/mcp.json (workspace) or your user profile mcp.json:

config.json

{
  "servers": {
    "image-resolver": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@ahmaddioxide/mcp-image-resolver"],
      "env": {
        "PEXELS_API_KEY": "your-pexels-api-key",
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "your-unsplash-access-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: VS Code uses servers (not mcpServers) and requires "type": "stdio".

Windsurf

Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "image-resolver": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@ahmaddioxide/mcp-image-resolver"],
      "env": {
        "PEXELS_API_KEY": "your-pexels-api-key",
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "your-unsplash-access-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Refresh the MCP config after changes.

Other MCP Clients

Any client that supports stdio MCP servers (Amp, Continue.dev, Amazon Q, etc.) can use this server:

Command: npx
Args: ["-y", "@ahmaddioxide/mcp-image-resolver"]
Env: { "PEXELS_API_KEY": "your-key", "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "your-key" } (at least one required)

Usage

Once configured, ask your AI assistant to find images in natural language. It will call the search_images tool automatically.

Example prompts:

"Find royalty-free images of a sunset mosque"
"Search for zen yoga images suitable for a wellness app"
"Get some minimalist office workspace photos"
"Find images for a cooking blog header"

The tool returns image URLs and metadata. Use the links to view or download images.

Tool Schema

Tool	Params	Description
search_images	query, limit?, page?, orientation?	Search images from Pexels and Unsplash
extract_image_query	context	Extract search terms from free-form text
get_best_image	query, orientation?	Return a single best image
search_images_batch	queries, limit?	Run multiple searches in parallel
resolve_image_attribution	photographer, source, url?	Generate attribution text

Response: JSON with results array of { url, source, width, height, photographer, tags }. Each result includes source ("Pexels" or "Unsplash") for attribution.

Note: When both providers are configured, results are merged with Pexels first, then Unsplash. Use limit: 20 or higher to see results from both providers in a single search.

Testing

Example prompts to verify the tools:

"Search for mountain landscape with limit 20 and show me which results came from Pexels vs Unsplash."
"Use extract_image_query on: I need a hero image for a meditation app with mountains."
"Use search_images_batch for 'sunset mosque', 'pakistani flag', and 'zen yoga'."
"Get a single best image for coffee shop and generate attribution for it."

Development

To contribute or run locally, clone the repo and build from source:

bash

git clone https://github.com/ahmaddioxide/image-resolver-mcp.git
cd image-resolver-mcp
npm install
cp .env.example .env
# Add PEXELS_API_KEY and/or UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY to .env
npm run build

Or run in development mode without building, using tsx:

config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "image-resolver": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["tsx", "/path/to/image-resolver-mcp/src/index.ts"],
      "env": {
        "PEXELS_API_KEY": "your-pexels-api-key",
        "UNSPLASH_ACCESS_KEY": "your-unsplash-access-key"
      }
    }
  }
}

Attribution

Images are sourced from Pexels and Unsplash. Per their API terms:

Provide prominent links to Pexels and Unsplash
Credit photographers: "Photo by [Name] on Pexels" / "Photo by [Name] on Unsplash"
Response metadata includes photographer and source; use resolve_image_attribution for compliant text

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. Please read CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines and CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md for community standards. See SECURITY.md for vulnerability reporting.

License

MIT — see LICENSE.

Related MCP Servers

View all in Developer Tools View all alternatives

Frequently Asked Questions about Image Resolver

Add the following block to your claude_desktop_config.json under mcpServers: "mcpServers": { "image-resolver": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "image-resolver"] } }

AllMCPs Directory Badge

Full Badge Customizer

Showcase your server listing on GitHub or your project documentation. Embed this dynamic SVG badge to highlight official listing status and live engagement.

Badge Style:

Live Dynamic SVG Preview

Markdown (GitHub README)

[![AllMCPs](https://allmcps.com/api/badge/image-resolver?style=directory)](https://allmcps.com/mcp/image-resolver)

HTML Embed

<a href="https://allmcps.com/mcp/image-resolver"><img src="https://allmcps.com/api/badge/image-resolver?style=directory" alt="Image Resolver on AllMCPs" /></a>

Technical Specs & Signals

CategoryDeveloper Tools

0/4 checks healthy over the last 6h

29Quality signal: Emerging · 29/100How this signal is calculated ▾

Server availabilityNot measured

Not scored for repo-hosted servers — we can't reach the running server, only its GitHub page. Hosted MCP endpoints are health-checked live.

Verified ownership8/20

Documentation & tools11/30

Adoption & activity3/15

Community engagement0/10

★ Featured

Moxie Docs MCP

MCP & Agent Skills for Automated Documentation, and codebase conventions + context

Explore Server →

Own this project?

This directory is pre-filled from public sources. Claim via GitHub README, site badge, or DNS TXT to get the verified badge and attach your website.

Free dofollow backlink: after claiming, verify your product site and place a dofollow AllMCPs badge — we recheck it stays live.

Claim & get free dofollow

Share & Embed

Add our SVG badge (dark/light directory styles) or embeddable widget to your site.

Explore more

More in 💻 Developer Tools →Best MCP servers for Developers →Alternatives to Image Resolver →Install in Claude Desktop Install in Cursor Install in VS Code