diff --git a/.changeset/giant-cycles-end.md b/.changeset/giant-cycles-end.md
index 6cd21fe54e..5d9f8149a8 100644
--- a/.changeset/giant-cycles-end.md
+++ b/.changeset/giant-cycles-end.md
@@ -3,3 +3,5 @@
 ---
 
 Migrate package to the new Frontend system, the new module is distributed with a `/alpha` subpath.
+
+The search collator `requestParams` option is optional now, so its defaults to `{ order: 'desc', sort: 'activity', site: 'stackoverflow' }` as done in the `Try It` section on the [official Stack Overflow API documentation](https://api.stackexchange.com/docs/questions).
diff --git a/plugins/stack-overflow-backend/README.md b/plugins/stack-overflow-backend/README.md
index 4575ab58c0..5de997faa6 100644
--- a/plugins/stack-overflow-backend/README.md
+++ b/plugins/stack-overflow-backend/README.md
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ This stack overflow backend plugin is primarily responsible for the following:
 
 Before you are able to start index stack overflow questions to search, you need to go through the [search getting started guide](https://backstage.io/docs/features/search/getting-started).
 
-When you have your `packages/backend/src/plugins/search.ts` file ready to make modifications, add the following code snippet to add the `StackOverflowQuestionsCollatorFactory`. Note that you can modify the `requestParams`.
+When you have your `packages/backend/src/plugins/search.ts` file ready to make modifications, add the following code snippet to add the `StackOverflowQuestionsCollatorFactory`. Note that you can optionally modify the `requestParams`, otherwise it will defaults to `{ order: 'desc', sort: 'activity', site: 'stackoverflow' }` as done in the `Try It` section on the [official Stack Overflow API documentation](https://api.stackexchange.com/docs/questions).
 
 > Note: if your `baseUrl` is set to the external stack overflow api `https://api.stackexchange.com/2.2`, you can find optional and required parameters under the official API documentation under [`Usage of /questions GET`](https://api.stackexchange.com/docs/questions)
 
diff --git a/plugins/stack-overflow-backend/src/search/StackOverflowQuestionsCollatorFactory.ts b/plugins/stack-overflow-backend/src/search/StackOverflowQuestionsCollatorFactory.ts
index cf1e56cb28..3c97937365 100644
--- a/plugins/stack-overflow-backend/src/search/StackOverflowQuestionsCollatorFactory.ts
+++ b/plugins/stack-overflow-backend/src/search/StackOverflowQuestionsCollatorFactory.ts
@@ -81,10 +81,13 @@ export class StackOverflowQuestionsCollatorFactory
     this.apiAccessToken = options.apiAccessToken;
     this.teamName = options.teamName;
     this.maxPage = options.maxPage;
+    // Sets the same default request parameters as the official API documentation
+    // See https://api.stackexchange.com/docs/questions
     this.requestParams = options.requestParams ?? {
-      tagged: ['backstage'],
+      order: 'desc',
+      sort: 'activity',
       site: 'stackoverflow',
-      pagesize: 100,
+      ...(options.requestParams ?? {}),
     };
     this.logger = options.logger.child({ documentType: this.type });
   }
@@ -102,10 +105,9 @@ export class StackOverflowQuestionsCollatorFactory
       config.getOptionalString('stackoverflow.baseUrl') ||
       'https://api.stackexchange.com/2.3';
     const maxPage = options.maxPage || 100;
-    const requestParams =
-      config.getOptional<StackOverflowQuestionsRequestParams>(
-        'stackoverflow.requestParams',
-      );
+    const requestParams = config
+      .getOptionalConfig('stackoverflow.requestParams')
+      ?.get<StackOverflowQuestionsRequestParams>();
     return new StackOverflowQuestionsCollatorFactory({
       baseUrl,
       maxPage,
@@ -184,7 +186,7 @@ export class StackOverflowQuestionsCollatorFactory
       );
 
       const data = await res.json();
-      for (const question of data.items) {
+      for (const question of data.items ?? []) {
         yield {
           title: question.title,
           location: question.link,