diff --git a/app-config.yaml b/app-config.yaml
index 032ce0b4e9..08dd2837e4 100644
--- a/app-config.yaml
+++ b/app-config.yaml
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ app:
             title: '#backstage'
 
 backend:
-  # Used for enabling authorization, secret is shared by all backend plugins
+  # Used for enabling authentication, secret is shared by all backend plugins
   # See authenticate-api-requests.md in the contrib docs for information on the format
-  # authorization:
+  # auth:
   #   secret: ${BACKEND_SECRET}
   baseUrl: http://localhost:7007
   listen:
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/config.d.ts b/packages/backend-common/config.d.ts
index ceb9706ca9..66b54d1ebb 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/config.d.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-common/config.d.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export interface Config {
 
   backend: {
     /** Backend configuration for when request authentication is enabled */
-    authorization?: {
+    auth?: {
       /**
        * Secret shared by all backends for generating tokens
        * Format is base64 24-bit key
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/tokens/ServerTokenManager.test.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/tokens/ServerTokenManager.test.ts
index 6fe920939b..d027833cb1 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/src/tokens/ServerTokenManager.test.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/tokens/ServerTokenManager.test.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import { ServerTokenManager } from './ServerTokenManager';
 
 const emptyConfig = new ConfigReader({});
 const configWithSecret = new ConfigReader({
-  backend: { authorization: { secret: 'a-secret-key' } },
+  backend: { auth: { secret: 'a-secret-key' } },
 });
 
 describe('ServerTokenManager', () => {
diff --git a/packages/backend-common/src/tokens/ServerTokenManager.ts b/packages/backend-common/src/tokens/ServerTokenManager.ts
index fa7e6fac2d..f7fccd30b2 100644
--- a/packages/backend-common/src/tokens/ServerTokenManager.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-common/src/tokens/ServerTokenManager.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export class ServerTokenManager implements TokenManager {
   }
 
   static fromConfig(config: Config) {
-    const secret = config.getString('backend.authorization.secret');
+    const secret = config.getString('backend.auth.secret');
 
     return new ServerTokenManager(secret);
   }
diff --git a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/app-config.yaml.hbs b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/app-config.yaml.hbs
index cbe1ef07d4..44bae0ff26 100644
--- a/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/app-config.yaml.hbs
+++ b/packages/create-app/templates/default-app/app-config.yaml.hbs
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ organization:
   name: My Company
 
 backend:
-  # Used for enabling authorization, secret is shared by all backend plugins
+  # Used for enabling authentication, secret is shared by all backend plugins
   # See authenticate-api-requests.md in the contrib docs for information on the format
-  # authorization:
+  # auth:
   #  secret: ${BACKEND_SECRET}
   baseUrl: http://localhost:7007
   listen: