Airbnb Search & Listings - Desktop Extension (DXT)

1# Airbnb Search & Listings - Desktop Extension (DXT)
2 
3A 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.
4 
5## Features
6 
7### 🔍 Advanced Search Capabilities
8- **Location-based search** with support for cities, states, and regions
9- **Google Maps Place ID** integration for precise location targeting
10- **Date filtering** with check-in and check-out date support
11- **Guest configuration** including adults, children, infants, and pets
12- **Price range filtering** with minimum and maximum price constraints
13- **Pagination support** for browsing through large result sets
14 
15### 🏠 Detailed Property Information
16- **Comprehensive listing details** including amenities, policies, and highlights
17- **Location information** with coordinates and neighborhood details
18- **House rules and policies** for informed booking decisions
19- **Property descriptions** and key features
20- **Direct links** to Airbnb listings for easy booking
21 
22### 🛡️ Security & Compliance
23- **Robots.txt compliance** with configurable override for testing
24- **Request timeout management** to prevent hanging requests
25- **Enhanced error handling** with detailed logging
26- **Rate limiting awareness** and respectful API usage
27- **Secure configuration** through DXT user settings
28 
29## Installation
30 
31### For Claude Desktop
32This extension is packaged as a Desktop Extension (DXT) file. To install:
33 
341. Download the `.dxt` file from the releases page
352. Open your compatible AI application (e.g., Claude Desktop)
363. Install the extension through the application's extension manager
374. Configure the extension settings as needed
38 
39### For Cursor, etc.
40 
41Before starting make sure [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) is installed on your desktop for `npx` to work.
421. Go to: Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations > New MCP Server
43 
442. Add one the following to your `mcp.json`:
45    ```json
46    {
47      "mcpServers": {
48        "airbnb": {
49          "command": "npx",
50          "args": [
51            "-y",
52            "@openbnb/mcp-server-airbnb"
53          ]
54        }
55      }
56    }
57    ```
58 
59    To ignore robots.txt for all requests, use this version with `--ignore-robots-txt` args
60 
61    ```json
62    {
63      "mcpServers": {
64        "airbnb": {
65          "command": "npx",
66          "args": [
67            "-y",
68            "@openbnb/mcp-server-airbnb",
69            "--ignore-robots-txt"
70          ]
71        }
72      }
73    }
74    ```
753. Restart.
76 
77 
78## Configuration
79 
80The extension provides the following user-configurable options:
81 
82### Ignore robots.txt
83- **Type**: Boolean (checkbox)
84- **Default**: `false`
85- **Description**: Bypass robots.txt restrictions when making requests to Airbnb
86- **Recommendation**: Keep disabled unless needed for testing purposes
87 
88## Tools
89 
90### `airbnb_search`
91 
92Search for Airbnb listings with comprehensive filtering options.
93 
94**Parameters:**
95- `location` (required): Location to search (e.g., "San Francisco, CA")
96- `placeId` (optional): Google Maps Place ID (overrides location)
97- `checkin` (optional): Check-in date in YYYY-MM-DD format
98- `checkout` (optional): Check-out date in YYYY-MM-DD format
99- `adults` (optional): Number of adults (default: 1)
100- `children` (optional): Number of children (default: 0)
101- `infants` (optional): Number of infants (default: 0)
102- `pets` (optional): Number of pets (default: 0)
103- `minPrice` (optional): Minimum price per night
104- `maxPrice` (optional): Maximum price per night
105- `cursor` (optional): Pagination cursor for browsing results
106- `ignoreRobotsText` (optional): Override robots.txt for this request
107 
108**Returns:**
109- Search results with property details, pricing, and direct links
110- Pagination information for browsing additional results
111- Search URL for reference
112 
113### `airbnb_listing_details`
114 
115Get detailed information about a specific Airbnb listing.
116 
117**Parameters:**
118- `id` (required): Airbnb listing ID
119- `checkin` (optional): Check-in date in YYYY-MM-DD format
120- `checkout` (optional): Check-out date in YYYY-MM-DD format
121- `adults` (optional): Number of adults (default: 1)
122- `children` (optional): Number of children (default: 0)
123- `infants` (optional): Number of infants (default: 0)
124- `pets` (optional): Number of pets (default: 0)
125- `ignoreRobotsText` (optional): Override robots.txt for this request
126 
127**Returns:**
128- Detailed property information including:
129  - Location details with coordinates
130  - Amenities and facilities
131  - House rules and policies
132  - Property highlights and descriptions
133  - Direct link to the listing
134 
135## Technical Details
136 
137### Architecture
138- **Runtime**: Node.js 18+
139- **Protocol**: Model Context Protocol (MCP) via stdio transport
140- **Format**: Desktop Extension (DXT) v0.1
141- **Dependencies**: Minimal external dependencies for security and reliability
142 
143### Error Handling
144- Comprehensive error logging with timestamps
145- Graceful degradation when Airbnb's page structure changes
146- Timeout protection for network requests
147- Detailed error messages for troubleshooting
148 
149### Security Measures
150- Robots.txt compliance by default
151- Request timeout limits
152- Input validation and sanitization
153- Secure environment variable handling
154- No sensitive data storage
155 
156### Performance
157- Efficient HTML parsing with Cheerio
158- Request caching where appropriate
159- Minimal memory footprint
160- Fast startup and response times
161 
162## Compatibility
163 
164- **Platforms**: macOS, Windows, Linux
165- **Node.js**: 18.0.0 or higher
166- **Claude Desktop**: 0.10.0 or higher
167- **Other MCP clients**: Compatible with any MCP-supporting application
168 
169## Development
170 
171### Building from Source
172 
173```bash
174# Install dependencies
175npm install
176 
177# Build the project
178npm run build
179 
180# Watch for changes during development
181npm run watch
182```
183 
184### Testing
185 
186The extension can be tested by running the MCP server directly:
187 
188```bash
189# Run with robots.txt compliance (default)
190node dist/index.js
191 
192# Run with robots.txt ignored (for testing)
193node dist/index.js --ignore-robots-txt
194```
195 
196## Legal and Ethical Considerations
197 
198- **Respect Airbnb's Terms of Service**: This extension is for legitimate research and booking assistance
199- **Robots.txt Compliance**: The extension respects robots.txt by default
200- **Rate Limiting**: Be mindful of request frequency to avoid overwhelming Airbnb's servers
201- **Data Usage**: Only extract publicly available information for legitimate purposes
202 
203## Support
204 
205- **Issues**: Report bugs and feature requests on [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/openbnb-org/mcp-server-airbnb/issues)
206- **Documentation**: Additional documentation available in the repository
207- **Community**: Join discussions about MCP and DXT development
208 
209## License
210 
211MIT License - see [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
212 
213## Contributing
214 
215Contributions are welcome! Please read the contributing guidelines and submit pull requests for any improvements.
216 
217---
218 
219**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.
220