diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 1dcbb5fd4..cb0163ba3 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -1,6 +1,16 @@
 # Configurations
 
+### API ###
+
+## API token to use when looking up the published content
+# GITBOOK_TOKEN=xxx
+
+### URL of the application ###
 # NEXT_PUBLIC_GITBOOK_APP_URL=https://app.gitbook.com
+
+### Image resizing ###
 # GITBOOK_IMAGE_RESIZE_SIGNING_KEY=1234567890
 # GITBOOK_IMAGE_RESIZE_URL=https://mycompany.com/cdn-cgi/image/
+
+### SEO ###
 # GITBOOK_BLOCK_SEARCH_INDEXATION=true
diff --git a/src/middleware.ts b/src/middleware.ts
index c1bf91143..ddbb44302 100644
--- a/src/middleware.ts
+++ b/src/middleware.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ export async function middleware(request: NextRequest) {
     const resolved = await withAPI(
         new GitBookAPI({
             endpoint: apiEndpoint,
+            authToken: process.env.GITBOOK_TOKEN,
         }),
         () => lookupSpaceForURL(mode, inputURL, visitorAuthToken),
     );