diff --git a/.changeset/nervous-walls-exercise.md b/.changeset/nervous-walls-exercise.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..58c19d53ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/nervous-walls-exercise.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/search-common': patch
+---
+
+Add optional query request options containing authorization token to SearchEngine#query.
diff --git a/packages/search-common/api-report.md b/packages/search-common/api-report.md
index dcbbbee1bf..e63caf016f 100644
--- a/packages/search-common/api-report.md
+++ b/packages/search-common/api-report.md
@@ -35,6 +35,13 @@ export interface IndexableDocument {
   title: string;
 }
 
+// Warning: (ae-missing-release-tag) "QueryRequestOptions" is exported by the package, but it is missing a release tag (@alpha, @beta, @public, or @internal)
+//
+// @public (undocumented)
+export type QueryRequestOptions = {
+  token?: string;
+};
+
 // Warning: (ae-missing-release-tag) "QueryTranslator" is exported by the package, but it is missing a release tag (@alpha, @beta, @public, or @internal)
 //
 // @public
@@ -45,7 +52,10 @@ export type QueryTranslator = (query: SearchQuery) => unknown;
 // @public
 export interface SearchEngine {
   index(type: string, documents: IndexableDocument[]): Promise<void>;
-  query(query: SearchQuery): Promise<SearchResultSet>;
+  query(
+    query: SearchQuery,
+    options?: QueryRequestOptions,
+  ): Promise<SearchResultSet>;
   setTranslator(translator: QueryTranslator): void;
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/search-common/src/types.ts b/packages/search-common/src/types.ts
index bac6967d19..e8d21535bb 100644
--- a/packages/search-common/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/search-common/src/types.ts
@@ -99,6 +99,10 @@ export interface DocumentDecorator {
  */
 export type QueryTranslator = (query: SearchQuery) => unknown;
 
+export type QueryRequestOptions = {
+  token?: string;
+};
+
 /**
  * Interface that must be implemented by specific search engines, responsible
  * for performing indexing and querying and translating abstract queries into
@@ -118,5 +122,8 @@ export interface SearchEngine {
   /**
    * Perform a search query against the SearchEngine.
    */
-  query(query: SearchQuery): Promise<SearchResultSet>;
+  query(
+    query: SearchQuery,
+    options?: QueryRequestOptions,
+  ): Promise<SearchResultSet>;
 }