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:

1. Download the .dxt file from the releases page
2. Open your compatible AI application (e.g., Claude Desktop)
3. Install the extension through the application's extension manager
4. Configure the extension settings as needed

For Cursor, etc.

Before starting make sure Node.js is installed on your desktop for npx to work.

1. Go to: Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations > New MCP Server

2. 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"
         ]
       }
     }
   }

3. 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.