Unsplash Image Scraper

What does Unsplash Image Scraper do?

Unsplash Image Scraper collects photo metadata and direct image links from Unsplash search results, topics, collections, and photographer profiles. Enter a keyword or paste a public Unsplash URL, set a result limit, and export a structured dataset for design libraries, market research, or AI training data.

Why use Unsplash Image Scraper?

• Search by keyword or URL - Start with a term such as winter, or paste a public search, topic, collection, or photographer page.
• Structured photo records - Get dimensions, dominant color, blur hash, likes, descriptions, photographer details, and image links in one dataset.
• Pagination control - Set results_wanted and max_pages to match the size of the job.
• Export options - Download JSON, CSV, Excel, or XML from Apify, or connect the dataset to another tool through the Apify API.
• No API key - The Actor reads public Unsplash pages, so you do not need an Unsplash developer account.

What data can you extract from Unsplash?

Field	Description
id	Unique photo identifier
slug	URL-friendly photo slug
created_at	ISO timestamp of the upload
updated_at	ISO timestamp of the last update
width	Original image width in pixels
height	Original image height in pixels
color	Dominant hex color of the image
blur_hash	Blur hash placeholder for the image
description	Photographer description, with alt text as a fallback
alt_description	Alternative description from Unsplash
url	Photo page on Unsplash
image_url	Regular-sized image URL
download_url	Unsplash download link
likes	Number of likes on the photo
username	Photographer username
user_name	Photographer display name

How to use Unsplash Image Scraper

1. Open the Actor on Apify Store.
2. Enter a keyword, or paste an Unsplash URL. A URL takes precedence over the keyword.
3. Set the maximum number of photos and pages.
4. Run the Actor.
5. Open the dataset to preview, filter, or export the results.

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
url	String	No	-	Public Unsplash search, topic, collection, or photographer URL. Takes precedence over keyword.
keyword	String	No	winter	Search term used when no URL is supplied.
results_wanted	Integer	No	20	Maximum number of photos to save.
max_pages	Integer	No	5	Maximum number of result pages to request.
proxyConfiguration	Object	No	{}	Optional proxy settings. Leave empty to run without a proxy.

Output Data

Field	Type	Description
id	String	Unique photo identifier
slug	String	URL-friendly photo slug
created_at	String	ISO timestamp of the upload
updated_at	String	ISO timestamp of the last update
width	Integer	Photo width in pixels
height	Integer	Photo height in pixels
color	String	Dominant hex color
blur_hash	String	Blur hash placeholder
description	String	Photo description or alt text
alt_description	String	Alternative description
url	String	Photo page on Unsplash
image_url	String	Regular-sized image URL
download_url	String	Unsplash download link
likes	Integer	Number of likes
username	String	Photographer username
user_name	String	Photographer display name

Usage Examples

Keyword Search

Collect the first 20 photos for a search term:

{
    "keyword": "winter",
    "results_wanted": 20
}

Search URL with More Results

Collect 50 photos from a search page and allow up to five pages:

{
    "url": "https://unsplash.com/s/photos/spring-flowers",
    "results_wanted": 50,
    "max_pages": 5
}

Photographer Portfolio

Collect photos from a public photographer profile:

{
    "url": "https://unsplash.com/@nasa",
    "results_wanted": 30
}

Curated Collection

Collect photos from a public collection:

{
    "url": "https://unsplash.com/collections/317099/nature",
    "results_wanted": 100,
    "max_pages": 5
}

Topic Feed

Collect photos from a topic page:

{
    "url": "https://unsplash.com/t/nature",
    "results_wanted": 40
}

Sample Output

{
    "id": "3N74-q6L4WE",
    "slug": "the-sun-is-shining-over-the-snowy-mountains-3N74-q6L4WE",
    "created_at": "2022-12-12T13:06:38Z",
    "updated_at": "2026-10-15T16:37:56Z",
    "width": 4882,
    "height": 7143,
    "color": "#EFEFEF",
    "blur_hash": "LTEgUnMwMwjY.7MwRPad.AV@WAad",
    "description": "Winter fairytale in the mountains of the Italian Alps in Europe. Hike through the frozen landscape.",
    "alt_description": "the sun is shining over the snowy mountains",
    "url": "https://unsplash.com/photos/the-sun-is-shining-over-the-snowy-mountains-3N74-q6L4WE",
    "image_url": "https://plus.unsplash.com/premium_photo-1670493556860-13e006e6faa4?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=NHwxMjA3fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1080",
    "download_url": "https://unsplash.com/photos/3N74-q6L4WE/download?ixid=NHwxMjA3fDA",
    "likes": 80,
    "username": "aleskrivec",
    "user_name": "Ales Krivec"
}

Tips for Best Results

• Start with 20 to 50 photos to check the output, then raise results_wanted for production runs.
• Use a full Unsplash URL when you want a specific search, topic, collection, or photographer feed.
• Results can stop before results_wanted when the feed runs out or a page returns fewer photos than expected. The run log shows why pagination stopped.
• Some photos do not publish a description or alt text. Missing fields are omitted from the record rather than saved as empty strings.
• If you run large or frequent jobs, enable your own proxy in proxyConfiguration to spread requests across addresses.

Integrations

• Google Sheets - Send photo records to a spreadsheet for review.
• Webhooks - Trigger a workflow after each run.
• Make or Zapier - Connect results to no-code automations.
• API - Read the dataset from your own systems with the Apify API.
• CSV, Excel, JSON, and XML - Export the dataset in the format your tools accept.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I scrape multiple pages of photos?

Yes. The Actor requests pages until it reaches results_wanted, max_pages, or the end of the feed.

Does the Actor download the image files?

No. It saves image URLs and download links. Use a separate download step if you need the files themselves.

Can I export the data to CSV or Excel?

Yes. Apify datasets can be downloaded as CSV, Excel, JSON, XML, and other supported formats.

Can I use a photographer profile or collection URL?

Yes. Paste a public profile URL such as https://unsplash.com/@nasa or a collection URL such as https://unsplash.com/collections/317099/nature.

What happens when a photo has no description?

The Actor uses alt_description when description is empty. If both are empty, the field is omitted.

Why did the run stop before reaching results_wanted?

The feed may have fewer photos than requested, or the last page returned fewer items than a full page. The final log line reports the stop reason and the saved count.

Can I run this Actor on a schedule?

Yes. Create a schedule in Apify Console and choose an hourly, daily, weekly, or custom interval.

Does the Actor need an Unsplash account or API key?

No. It reads public Unsplash pages and does not require a developer account or API key.

Is it legal to scrape Unsplash?

Unsplash publishes public photo pages. You are responsible for complying with applicable laws, the Unsplash terms, and image licensing rules when you use the data.

Related Actors

• Pixabay Image Scraper - Collect image URLs, tags, and creator details from Pixabay.
• Pexels Stock Image Scraper - Collect stock photo metadata and photographer details from Pexels.
• OpenVerse Image Scraper - Collect Creative Commons and public domain images with license and attribution data.

Support

For issues, feature requests, or custom Actor work, use the Issues tab on the Actor page or contact the developer through Apify.

Legal Notice

This Actor collects publicly available data from Unsplash. You are responsible for using the data lawfully and for following the Unsplash terms and image licenses.