unsplash-js v7.0.19
Unsplash
Official Javascript wrapper for the Unsplash API.
Key Links:
- Before using the Unsplash API, register as a developer.
- Before using the Unsplash API, read the API Guidelines. Specifically, you must:
- Once you create an application and have an access key, go try the demos:
Documentation
Installation
$ npm i --save unsplash-js
# OR
$ yarn add unsplash-js
Dependencies
Fetch
This library depends on fetch to make requests to the Unsplash API. For environments that don't support fetch, you'll need to provide polyfills of your choosing. Here are the ones we recommend:
- node implementation: node-fetch
- browser polyfill: whatwg-fetch
Adding polyfills
createApi
receives an optional fetch
parameter. When it is not provided, we rely on the globally scoped fetch
.
This means that you can set the polyfills in the global scope:
// server
import fetch from 'node-fetch';
global.fetch = fetch;
// browser
import 'whatwg-fetch';
or explicitly provide them as an argument:
import { createApi } from 'unsplash-js';
import nodeFetch from 'node-fetch';
const unsplash = createApi({
accessKey: 'MY_ACCESS_KEY',
fetch: nodeFetch,
});
Note: we recommend using a version of node-fetch
higher than 2.4.0
to benefit from Brotli compression.
node-fetch
and global types
This library presumes that the following types exist in the global namespace:
fetch
RequestInit
Response
By default TypeScript defines these via the "dom"
type definitions.
However, if you're targeting Node and you're using node-fetch
you should omit the "dom"
type definitions using the lib
compiler option and then define the required global types manually like so:
import { createApi } from 'unsplash-js';
import * as nodeFetch from 'node-fetch'
declare global {
var fetch: typeof nodeFetch.default;
type RequestInit = nodeFetch.RequestInit;
type Response = nodeFetch.Response;
}
global.fetch = nodeFetch.default;
const unsplash = createApi({
accessKey: 'MY_ACCESS_KEY',
fetch: nodeFetch.default,
});
Unfortunately this won't work with node-fetch
v3 due to an issue in node-fetch
, whereby the global namespace is polluted with the "dom"
type definitions: https://github.com/node-fetch/node-fetch/issues/1285.
As a workaround you use a type assertion:
import { createApi } from 'unsplash-js';
import * as nodeFetch from 'node-fetch'
const unsplash = createApi({
accessKey: 'MY_ACCESS_KEY',
fetch: nodeFetch.default as unknown as typeof fetch,
});
URL
This library also depends on the WHATWG URL interface:
Note: Make sure to polyfill this interface if targetting older environments that do not implement it (i.e. Internet Explorer or Node < v8).
Note 2: For Node, the URL interface exists under require('url').URL
since v8 but was only added to the global scope as of v10.0.0. If you are using a version between v8.0.0 and v10.0.0, you need to add the class to the global scope before using unsplash-js
:
URL = require('url').URL;
Usage
Creating an instance
To create an instance, simply provide an Object with your accessKey
.
NOTE: If you're using unsplash-js
publicly in the browser, you'll need to proxy your requests through your server to sign the requests with the Access Key to abide by the API Guideline to keep keys confidential. We provide an apiUrl
property that lets you do so. You should only need to provide one of those two values in any given scenario.
import { createApi } from 'unsplash-js';
// on your node server
const serverApi = createApi({
accessKey: 'MY_ACCESS_KEY',
//...other fetch options
});
// in the browser
const browserApi = createApi({
apiUrl: 'https://mywebsite.com/unsplash-proxy',
//...other fetch options
});
Making a request
Arguments
All methods have 2 arguments: the first one includes all of the specific parameters for that particular endpoint, while the second allows you to pass down any additional options that you want to provide to fetch
. On top of that, the createApi
constructor can receive fetch
options to be added to every request:
const unsplash = createApi({
accessKey: 'MY_ACCESS_KEY',
// `fetch` options to be sent with every request
headers: { 'X-Custom-Header': 'foo' },
});
unsplash.photos.get(
{ photoId: '123' },
// `fetch` options to be sent only with _this_ request
{ headers: { 'X-Custom-Header-2': 'bar' } },
);
Example: if you would like to implement request abortion, you can do so like this:
const unsplash = createApi({
accessKey: 'MY_ACCESS_KEY',
});
const controller = new AbortController();
const signal = controller.signal;
unsplash.photos.get({ photoId: '123' }, { signal }).catch(err => {
if (err.name === 'AbortError') {
console.log('Fetch aborted');
}
});
controller.abort();
Response
When making a request using this SDK, there are 2 possible outcomes to a request.
- Error: we return a
result.errors
object containing an array of strings (each one representing one error) andresult.source
describing the origin of the error (e.g.api
,decoding
). Typically, you will only have on item in this array. - Success: we return a
result.response
object containing the data.- If the request is for a page from a feed, then
result.response.results
will contain the JSON received from API, andresult.response.total
will contain theX-total
header value indicating the total number of items in the feed (not just the page you asked for). - If the request is something other than a feed, then
result.response
will contain the JSON received from API
- If the request is for a page from a feed, then
You can inspect which one you have by reading the result.type
value or checking the contents of result.errors
/result.success
const unsplash = createApi({ accessKey: 'MY_ACCESS_KEY' });
// non-feed example
unsplash.photos.get({ photoId: 'foo' }).then(result => {
if (result.errors) {
// handle error here
console.log('error occurred: ', result.errors[0]);
} else {
// handle success here
const photo = result.response;
console.log(photo);
}
});
// feed example
unsplash.users.getPhotos({ username: 'foo' }).then(result => {
if (result.errors) {
// handle error here
console.log('error occurred: ', result.errors[0]);
} else {
const feed = result.response;
// extract total and results array from response
const { total, results } = feed;
// handle success here
console.log(`received ${results.length} photos out of ${total}`);
console.log('first photo: ', results[0]);
}
});
NOTE: you can also pattern-match on result.type
whose value will be error
or success
:
unsplash.photos.get({ photoId: 'foo' }).then(result => {
switch (result.type) {
case 'error':
console.log('error occurred: ', result.errors[0]);
case 'success':
const photo = result.response;
console.log(photo);
}
});
Types
The types for this library target TypeScript v3.7 and above.
This library is written in TypeScript. This means that even if you are writing plain JavaScript, you can still get useful and accurate type information. We highly recommend that you setup your environment (using an IDE such as VSCode) to fully benefit from this information:
Function arguments
Response Types
Instance Methods
NOTE: All of the method arguments described here are in the first parameter. See the arguments section for more information.
search.getPhotos(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Get a list of photos matching the query. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Optional/Required | Default |
---|---|---|---|
query | string | Required | |
page | number | Optional | 1 |
perPage | number | Optional | 10 |
orientation | string | Optional | |
contentFilter | string | Optional | "low" |
color | string | Optional | |
orderBy | string | Optional | "relevant" |
collectionIds | array | Optional | |
lang | string | Optional | "en" |
Example
unsplash.search.getPhotos({
query: 'cat',
page: 1,
perPage: 10,
color: 'green',
orientation: 'portrait',
});
search.getUsers(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Get a list of users matching the query. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required | Default |
---|---|---|---|
query | string | Required | |
page | number | Optional | 1 |
perPage | number | Optional | 10 |
Example
unsplash.search.getUsers({
query: 'cat',
page: 1,
perPage: 10,
});
search.getCollections(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Get a list of collections matching the query. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required | Default |
---|---|---|---|
query | string | Required | |
page | number | Optional | 1 |
perPage | number | Optional | 10 |
Example
unsplash.search.getCollections({
query: 'cat',
page: 1,
perPage: 10,
});
photos.list(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Get a single page from the list of all photos. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required | Default |
---|---|---|---|
page | number | Optional | 1 |
perPage | number | Optional | 10 |
orderBy | string | Optional | latest |
Example
unsplash.photos.list({});
unsplash.photos.list({ page: 2, perPage: 15 });
photos.get(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Retrieve a single photo. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required |
---|---|---|
photoId | string | Required |
Example
unsplash.photos.get({ photoId: 'mtNweauBsMQ' });
photos.getStats(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Retrieve a single photo's stats. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required |
---|---|---|
photoId | string | Required |
Example
unsplash.photos.getStats({ photoId: 'mtNweauBsMQ' });
photos.getRandom(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Retrieve a single random photo, given optional filters. See endpoint docs π. Note: if you provide a value for count
greater than 1
, you will receive an array of photos. Otherwise, you will receive a single photo object.
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required |
---|---|---|
query | string | Optional |
username | string | Optional |
featured | boolean | Optional |
collectionIds | Array | Optional |
topicIds | Array | Optional |
count | string | Optional |
Example
unsplash.photos.getRandom({});
unsplash.photos.getRandom({
count: 10,
});
unsplash.photos.getRandom({
collectionIds: ['abc123'],
topicIds: ['def456'],
featured: true,
username: 'naoufal',
query: 'dog',
count: 1,
});
photos.trackDownload(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Trigger a download of a photo as per the download tracking requirement of API Guidelines. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required |
---|---|---|
downloadLocation | string | Required |
Example
unsplash.photos.get({ photoId: 'mtNweauBsMQ' }).then(result => {
if (result.type === 'success') {
const photo = result.response;
unsplash.photos.trackDownload({
downloadLocation: photo.links.download_location,
});
}
});
// or if working with an array of photos
unsplash.search.photos({ query: 'dogs' }).then(result => {
if (result.type === 'success') {
const firstPhoto = result.response.results[0];
unsplash.photos.trackDownload({
downloadLocation: firstPhoto.links.download_location,
});
}
});
users.get(username)
Retrieve public details on a given user. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required |
---|---|---|
username | string | Required |
Example
unsplash.users.get({ username: 'naoufal' });
users.getPhotos(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Get a list of photos uploaded by a user. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required | Notes | Default |
---|---|---|---|---|
username | string | Required | ||
page | number | Optional | 1 | |
perPage | number | Optional | 10 | |
orderBy | string | Optional | latest , oldest | latest |
stats | boolean | Optional | false | |
orientation | string | Optional | landscape , portrait , squarish |
Example
unsplash.users.getPhotos({
username: 'naoufal',
page: 1,
perPage: 10,
orderBy: 'latest',
orientation: 'landscape',
});
users.getLikes(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Get a list of photos liked by a user. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required | Notes | Default |
---|---|---|---|---|
username | string | Required | ||
page | number | Optional | 1 | |
perPage | number | Optional | 10 | |
orderBy | string | Optional | latest , oldest | latest |
orientation | string | Optional | landscape , portrait , squarish |
Example
unsplash.users.getLikes({
username: 'naoufal',
page: 1,
perPage: 10,
orderBy: 'latest',
orientation: 'landscape',
});
users.getCollections(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Get a list of collections created by the user. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required | Notes | Default |
---|---|---|---|---|
username | string | Required | ||
page | number | Optional | 1 | |
perPage | number | Optional | 10 |
Example
unsplash.users.getCollections({
username: 'naoufal',
page: 2,
perPage: 15,
});
collections.list(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Get a single page from the list of all collections. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required | Notes | Default |
---|---|---|---|---|
page | number | Optional | 1 | |
perPage | number | Optional | 10 |
Example
unsplash.collections.list({ page: 1, perPage: 10 });
collections.get(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Retrieve a single collection. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required |
---|---|---|
collectionId | string | Required |
Example
unsplash.collections.get({ collectionId: 'abc123' });
collections.getPhotos(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Retrieve a collectionβs photos. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required | Notes | Default |
---|---|---|---|---|
collectionId | string | Required | ||
page | number | Optional | 1 | |
perPage | number | Optional | 10 | |
orderBy | string | Optional | latest , oldest | latest |
orientation | string | Optional | landscape , portrait , squarish |
Example
unsplash.collections.getPhotos({ collectionId: 'abc123' });
collections.getRelated(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Lists collections related to the provided one. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required |
---|---|---|
collectionId | string | Required |
Example
unsplash.collections.getRelated({ collectionId: 'abc123' });
Topics
topics.list(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Get a single page from the list of all topics. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required | Notes | Default |
---|---|---|---|---|
topicIdsOrSlugs | Array | Optional | [] | |
page | number | Optional | 1 | |
perPage | number | Optional | 10 | |
orderBy | string | Optional | latest , oldest , featured , position | position |
Example
unsplash.topics.list({
page: 1,
perPage: 10,
topicIdsOrSlugs: ['fashion', 'architecture', '6sMVjTLSkeQ'],
});
topics.get(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Retrieve a single topic. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required |
---|---|---|
topicIdOrSlug | string | Required |
Example
unsplash.topics.get({ topicIdOrSlug: 'abc123' });
topics.getPhotos(arguments, additionalFetchOptions)
Retrieve a topicβs photos. See endpoint docs π
Arguments
Argument | Type | Opt/Required | Notes | Default |
---|---|---|---|---|
topicIdOrSlug | string | Required | ||
page | number | Optional | 1 | |
perPage | number | Optional | 10 | |
orderBy | string | Optional | latest , oldest , popular | latest |
orientation | string | Optional | landscape , portrait , squarish |
Example
unsplash.topics.getPhotos({ topicIdOrSlug: 'abc123' });
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