Airbnb Search & Listings - Desktop Extension (DXT)
A comprehensive Desktop Extension for searching Airbnb listings with advanced filtering capabilities and detailed property information retrieval. Built as a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server packaged in the Desktop Extension (DXT) format for easy installation and use with compatible AI applications.
Features
🔍 Advanced Search Capabilities
- Location-based search with support for cities, states, and regions
- Google Maps Place ID integration for precise location targeting
- Date filtering with check-in and check-out date support
- Guest configuration including adults, children, infants, and pets
- Price range filtering with minimum and maximum price constraints
- Pagination support for browsing through large result sets
🏠 Detailed Property Information
- Comprehensive listing details including amenities, policies, and highlights
- Location information with coordinates and neighborhood details
- House rules and policies for informed booking decisions
- Property descriptions and key features
- Direct links to Airbnb listings for easy booking
🛡️ Security & Compliance
- Robots.txt compliance with configurable override for testing
- Request timeout management to prevent hanging requests
- Enhanced error handling with detailed logging
- Rate limiting awareness and respectful API usage
- Secure configuration through DXT user settings
Installation
For Claude Desktop
This extension is packaged as a Desktop Extension (DXT) file. To install:
- Download the
.dxtfile from the releases page - Open your compatible AI application (e.g., Claude Desktop)
- Install the extension through the application's extension manager
- Configure the extension settings as needed
For Cursor, etc.
Before starting make sure Node.js is installed on your desktop for npx to work.
-
Go to: Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations > New MCP Server
-
Add one the following to your
mcp.json:{ "mcpServers": { "airbnb": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "-y", "@openbnb/mcp-server-airbnb" ] } } }To ignore robots.txt for all requests, use this version with
--ignore-robots-txtargs{ "mcpServers": { "airbnb": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "-y", "@openbnb/mcp-server-airbnb", "--ignore-robots-txt" ] } } } -
Restart.
Configuration
The extension provides the following user-configurable options:
Ignore robots.txt
- Type: Boolean (checkbox)
- Default:
false - Description: Bypass robots.txt restrictions when making requests to Airbnb
- Recommendation: Keep disabled unless needed for testing purposes
Tools
airbnb_search
Search for Airbnb listings with comprehensive filtering options.
Parameters:
location(required): Location to search (e.g., "San Francisco, CA")placeId(optional): Google Maps Place ID (overrides location)checkin(optional): Check-in date in YYYY-MM-DD formatcheckout(optional): Check-out date in YYYY-MM-DD formatadults(optional): Number of adults (default: 1)children(optional): Number of children (default: 0)infants(optional): Number of infants (default: 0)pets(optional): Number of pets (default: 0)minPrice(optional): Minimum price per nightmaxPrice(optional): Maximum price per nightcursor(optional): Pagination cursor for browsing resultsignoreRobotsText(optional): Override robots.txt for this request
Returns:
- Search results with property details, pricing, and direct links
- Pagination information for browsing additional results
- Search URL for reference
airbnb_listing_details
Get detailed information about a specific Airbnb listing.
Parameters:
id(required): Airbnb listing IDcheckin(optional): Check-in date in YYYY-MM-DD formatcheckout(optional): Check-out date in YYYY-MM-DD formatadults(optional): Number of adults (default: 1)children(optional): Number of children (default: 0)infants(optional): Number of infants (default: 0)pets(optional): Number of pets (default: 0)ignoreRobotsText(optional): Override robots.txt for this request
Returns:
- Detailed property information including:
- Location details with coordinates
- Amenities and facilities
- House rules and policies
- Property highlights and descriptions
- Direct link to the listing
Technical Details
Architecture
- Runtime: Node.js 18+
- Protocol: Model Context Protocol (MCP) via stdio transport
- Format: Desktop Extension (DXT) v0.1
- Dependencies: Minimal external dependencies for security and reliability
Error Handling
- Comprehensive error logging with timestamps
- Graceful degradation when Airbnb's page structure changes
- Timeout protection for network requests
- Detailed error messages for troubleshooting
Security Measures
- Robots.txt compliance by default
- Request timeout limits
- Input validation and sanitization
- Secure environment variable handling
- No sensitive data storage
Performance
- Efficient HTML parsing with Cheerio
- Request caching where appropriate
- Minimal memory footprint
- Fast startup and response times
Compatibility
- Platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux
- Node.js: 18.0.0 or higher
- Claude Desktop: 0.10.0 or higher
- Other MCP clients: Compatible with any MCP-supporting application
Development
Building from Source
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Build the project
npm run build
# Watch for changes during development
npm run watch
Testing
The extension can be tested by running the MCP server directly:
# Run with robots.txt compliance (default)
node dist/index.js
# Run with robots.txt ignored (for testing)
node dist/index.js --ignore-robots-txt
Legal and Ethical Considerations
- Respect Airbnb's Terms of Service: This extension is for legitimate research and booking assistance
- Robots.txt Compliance: The extension respects robots.txt by default
- Rate Limiting: Be mindful of request frequency to avoid overwhelming Airbnb's servers
- Data Usage: Only extract publicly available information for legitimate purposes
Support
- Issues: Report bugs and feature requests on GitHub Issues
- Documentation: Additional documentation available in the repository
- Community: Join discussions about MCP and DXT development
License
MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please read the contributing guidelines and submit pull requests for any improvements.
Note: This extension is not affiliated with Airbnb, Inc. It is an independent tool designed to help users search and analyze publicly available Airbnb listings.