vocabulary: provider: Unsplash description: >- Domain vocabulary for the Unsplash photo API platform. Covers photo metadata, image delivery, authentication, collections, topics, user profiles, statistics, and API compliance requirements for the world's largest open photography library. version: '2026-05-03' tags: - Photos - Images - Photography - Stock Photos - Creative terms: - term: Photo definition: >- A high-quality photograph available on Unsplash, uploaded by a photographer and made freely available for use under the Unsplash License. Each photo has a unique ID, multiple size URLs, metadata, and a required attribution link. tags: - Core Concept - term: Unsplash License definition: >- The permissive license under which Unsplash photos are provided. Photos may be used freely for commercial and non-commercial purposes without attribution, though attribution is appreciated. Redistribution of Unsplash photos as a stock photo competitor is prohibited. tags: - Licensing - Legal - term: Attribution definition: >- A credit linking to the photographer's Unsplash profile and the photo page. While not legally required under the Unsplash License, Unsplash strongly requests it. The html link in each photo's links object is the attribution URL. tags: - Compliance - Legal - term: Download Tracking definition: >- The required practice of calling the /photos/{id}/download endpoint whenever a user downloads an Unsplash photo. This is mandatory under Unsplash API guidelines to ensure accurate download counts for photographers. The download_location URL in the links object must be triggered. tags: - Compliance - API Guidelines - term: BlurHash definition: >- A compact string representation of a photo's blur preview (typically 20-30 characters) that can be decoded client-side to generate a placeholder image before the full photo loads. Provides better perceived performance than solid color placeholders. tags: - Performance - UX - term: Client-ID Authentication definition: >- The simplest Unsplash API authentication method for public (read-only) access. Include your Unsplash Access Key in the Authorization header as "Authorization: Client-ID {YOUR_ACCESS_KEY}" or as a client_id query parameter. tags: - Authentication - term: OAuth 2.0 Authentication definition: >- User-delegated authentication for operations that require user consent: reading private collections, liking photos, updating photos, or managing collections. Uses authorization_code flow with scopes like read_user, write_photos, write_collections, write_likes. tags: - Authentication - Authorization - term: Rate Limit definition: >- The maximum number of API requests allowed per hour. Demo applications are limited to 50 requests/hour. Production applications (approved via Unsplash) are allowed 1,000 requests/hour. Image file requests (images.unsplash.com) do not count against API rate limits. tags: - API Limits - term: Demo Mode definition: >- The initial access tier for new Unsplash API applications, limited to 50 requests/hour and requiring the "Demo" watermark on response headers. Applications must be reviewed and approved to access production rates. tags: - API Limits - term: Photo URL Sizes definition: >- Unsplash provides photos at multiple pre-defined sizes: raw (original with imgix parameters), full (large, full quality), regular (1080px wide), small (400px wide), and thumb (200px thumbnail). Image delivery is via imgix CDN. tags: - Images - CDN - term: imgix definition: >- The image processing CDN used by Unsplash to serve photos with on-the-fly transformations. By appending imgix parameters to raw URLs, developers can specify exact dimensions, crop modes, formats (WebP), quality levels, and DPI. tags: - CDN - Image Processing - term: Content Filter definition: >- A parameter for controlling safe search filtering in photo search and random photo endpoints. "low" (default) includes all content; "high" restricts to family-safe photos only. Use high for applications where users may encounter sensitive content. tags: - Content Safety - term: Collection definition: >- A curated group of photos organized by a user around a theme or concept. Collections can be public or private, and are used for editorial curation, project boards, and mood boards. Cover photo, total count, and curator info are included in collection objects. tags: - Organization - term: Topic definition: >- An editorial category curated by the Unsplash editorial team, such as "Nature," "Architecture," "Travel," or "Technology." Topics have slugs for URL use and contain featured photographs selected by editors. tags: - Editorial - Curation - term: Editorial Feed definition: >- The main /photos endpoint returning the Unsplash editorial selection — high-quality photos curated from the platform. Sortable by latest, oldest, or popular. tags: - Editorial - term: Orientation definition: >- A photo orientation filter for search and random endpoints. Values: landscape (wider than tall), portrait (taller than wide), squarish (roughly equal dimensions). Used to ensure photos match the intended layout. tags: - Filtering - term: Color Filter definition: >- A search filter that returns photos with a specific dominant color. Available values: black_and_white, black, white, yellow, orange, red, purple, magenta, green, teal, blue. Useful for design workflows matching specific brand colors. tags: - Filtering - Design - term: EXIF Data definition: >- Camera and lens metadata embedded in photos and exposed by the Unsplash API: camera make, model, exposure time, aperture (f-number), focal length, and ISO. Available on individual photo detail responses. tags: - Metadata - Photography - term: Statistics definition: >- Per-photo and per-user metrics including downloads, views, and likes over time. Available via /photos/{id}/statistics and /users/{username}/statistics. Returns historical time-series data with configurable resolution and quantity. tags: - Analytics - term: Access Scope definition: >- OAuth permission scopes controlling what operations an authenticated user grants to an application. Scopes include: public (default), read_user, write_user, read_photos, write_photos, write_likes, read_collections, write_collections. tags: - Authentication - Authorization - term: Pagination definition: >- Unsplash list endpoints support page (page number) and per_page (1-30 results per request) query parameters. The Link response header contains prev/next/last page URLs. Total count is returned in X-Total headers. tags: - API Design - term: Accept-Version Header definition: >- The recommended header "Accept-Version: v1" to explicitly request the current API version. Ensures consistent response formats as the API evolves. tags: - API Versioning