- Does shweshi/laravel-unsplash-wrapper work with Laravel 10 and Laravel 11?
- The package's last release was in September 2021, so its Composer constraints likely target Laravel 8/9 and PHP 7.4 to 8.1. On Laravel 10 or 11 the constraint may block installation even if the code would run unchanged. Check the illuminate/support and PHP requirements, then test a constraint bump or fork before committing.
- How do I install shweshi/laravel-unsplash-wrapper?
- Install it with composer require shweshi/laravel-unsplash-wrapper. Laravel auto-discovers the service provider and facade, then you publish the config and supply an Unsplash access key. A basic search-and-render read path is achievable in under a day.
- How do I configure the Unsplash API access key?
- Publish the package config with artisan vendor:publish and set your Unsplash access key in the .env file. Keep the key out of source control and treat it as a secret. Note that Unsplash requires application review for production keys, and the demo tier is limited to roughly 50 requests per hour.
- Does the package handle Unsplash download tracking?
- The wrapper focuses on Unsplash read endpoints for photos, search, collections, and users, and it is unclear whether it surfaces the download-tracking endpoint. Verify this in the source before relying on it, and call the tracking endpoint yourself when an image is selected if needed. Download tracking is a contractual requirement under Unsplash's terms, not an optional nicety.
- Is shweshi/laravel-unsplash-wrapper actively maintained?
- There has been no release since September 2021, the repository has around 19 stars, and it has a single maintainer. Assume it is effectively unmaintained and plan to own it. Vendor or fork it under your own namespace, pin the exact version, and accept maintenance responsibility from day one.
- Does this package cache Unsplash responses or store images?
- No. It is a thin adapter over Unsplash's REST endpoints and does not provide caching, persistence, image transformation, CDN integration, or license and attribution enforcement. Those responsibilities remain with your application. Add Laravel cache or HTTP client caching and your own storage layer as needed.
- How do I test code that uses the Unsplash facade?
- Avoid calling the Unsplash facade directly in controllers and views. Introduce an internal contract such as ImageProvider with search, find, and trackDownload methods, and bind the Unsplash adapter to it in a service provider. That keeps the package an implementation detail and makes contract tests easy to mock.
- What Unsplash API rate limits and production requirements should I expect?
- Unsplash requires an application review before issuing production keys, and the demo tier allows roughly 50 requests per hour. Attribution, hotlinking of Unsplash-hosted image URLs, and download tracking are mandatory. Violating these terms puts your API access at risk rather than merely degrading the user experience.
- Can I upload photos or manage collections with this wrapper?
- The package models Unsplash's read API surface, covering photos, search, collections, and users as a content source adapter. It is not a media management layer and does not provide uploads, collection management, or persistence unless you build them. Confirm your product scope before adopting it.
- What are alternatives to shweshi/laravel-unsplash-wrapper?
- Because the package is thin, you can replace it with 100 to 200 lines of Laravel Http calls or a maintained Unsplash SDK. If you need multi-provider flexibility across Pexels, Getty, Shutterstock, or an internal DAM, put your own ImageProvider contract in front. The small surface area makes forking or switching vendors low risk.