Docs & Usage Guide

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 .dxt file 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-txt args

{
  "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 format
checkout (optional): Check-out date in YYYY-MM-DD format
adults (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 night
maxPrice (optional): Maximum price per night
cursor (optional): Pagination cursor for browsing results
ignoreRobotsText (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 ID
checkin (optional): Check-in date in YYYY-MM-DD format
checkout (optional): Check-out date in YYYY-MM-DD format
adults (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.

Airbnb