diff --git a/.changeset/friendly-sheep-flash.md b/.changeset/friendly-sheep-flash.md
index 83df13b290..58ae309bf1 100644
--- a/.changeset/friendly-sheep-flash.md
+++ b/.changeset/friendly-sheep-flash.md
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 ---
-'@backstage/plugin-stack-overflow': patch
 '@backstage/plugin-stack-overflow-backend': patch
 ---
 
diff --git a/plugins/stack-overflow/config.d.ts b/plugins/stack-overflow/config.d.ts
index 181f196312..cf50241ec9 100644
--- a/plugins/stack-overflow/config.d.ts
+++ b/plugins/stack-overflow/config.d.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export interface Config {
 
     /**
      * The api key to authenticate to Stack Overflow API
-     * @visibility frontend
+     * @visibility secret
      */
     apiKey?: string;
   };
diff --git a/plugins/stack-overflow/src/home/StackOverflowQuestions/Content.tsx b/plugins/stack-overflow/src/home/StackOverflowQuestions/Content.tsx
index 8b954f5cf4..6d2ef9856a 100644
--- a/plugins/stack-overflow/src/home/StackOverflowQuestions/Content.tsx
+++ b/plugins/stack-overflow/src/home/StackOverflowQuestions/Content.tsx
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ import {
 export const Content = (props: StackOverflowQuestionsContentProps) => {
   const { requestParams } = props;
   const configApi = useApi(configApiRef);
-  const apiKey = configApi.getOptionalString('stackoverflow.apiKey');
   const baseUrl =
     configApi.getOptionalString('stackoverflow.baseUrl') ||
     'https://api.stackexchange.com/2.2';
@@ -50,20 +49,11 @@ export const Content = (props: StackOverflowQuestionsContentProps) => {
   const { value, loading, error } = useAsync(async (): Promise<
     StackOverflowQuestion[]
   > => {
-    try {
-      if (Object.keys(requestParams).indexOf('key') >= 0) {
-        delete requestParams.key;
-      }
-    } catch (e) {
-      // console.log("Failed to remove key from params");
-    }
-
     const params = qs.stringify(requestParams, {
       arrayFormat: 'comma',
       addQueryPrefix: true,
     });
-    const apiKeyParam = apiKey ? `${params ? '&' : '?'}key=${apiKey}` : '';
-    const response = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/questions${params}${apiKeyParam}`);
+    const response = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/questions${params}`);
     const data = await response.json();
     return data.items;
   }, []);