diff --git a/.changeset/good-jars-turn.md b/.changeset/good-jars-turn.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3ba4cb1d36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/good-jars-turn.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@backstage/plugin-search': minor
+---
+
+add IdentityApi support
diff --git a/plugins/search/package.json b/plugins/search/package.json
index 5c84748e06..dc0041c7a7 100644
--- a/plugins/search/package.json
+++ b/plugins/search/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@backstage/plugin-search",
-  "version": "0.4.0",
+  "version": "0.5.0",
   "main": "src/index.ts",
   "types": "src/index.ts",
   "license": "Apache-2.0",
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/apis.test.ts b/plugins/search/src/apis.test.ts
index 64a5207d6d..09b8dc48e6 100644
--- a/plugins/search/src/apis.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/search/src/apis.test.ts
@@ -26,8 +26,20 @@ describe('apis', () => {
 
   const baseUrl = 'https://base-url.com/';
   const getBaseUrl = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(baseUrl);
+
+  const token = 'AUTHTOKEN';
+  const withToken = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(token);
+  const withoutToken = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+  const createIdentityApiMock = (getIdToken: any) => ({
+    getIdToken,
+    getUserId: jest.fn(),
+    getProfile: jest.fn(),
+    signOut: jest.fn(),
+  });
+
   const client = new SearchClient({
     discoveryApi: { getBaseUrl },
+    identityApi: createIdentityApiMock(withoutToken),
   });
 
   const json = jest.fn();
@@ -41,7 +53,21 @@ describe('apis', () => {
   it('Fetch is called with expected URL (including stringified Q params)', async () => {
     await client.query(query);
     expect(getBaseUrl).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith('search/query');
-    expect(fetch).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(`${baseUrl}?term=&pageCursor=`);
+    expect(fetch).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(`${baseUrl}?term=&pageCursor=`, {
+      headers: {},
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('Sets Authorization if token is available', async () => {
+    const authedClient = new SearchClient({
+      discoveryApi: { getBaseUrl },
+      identityApi: createIdentityApiMock(withToken),
+    });
+    await authedClient.query(query);
+    expect(getBaseUrl).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith('search/query');
+    expect(fetch).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(`${baseUrl}?term=&pageCursor=`, {
+      headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${token}` },
+    });
   });
 
   it('Resolves JSON from fetch response', async () => {
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/apis.ts b/plugins/search/src/apis.ts
index 5e039cbb84..8d618116be 100644
--- a/plugins/search/src/apis.ts
+++ b/plugins/search/src/apis.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import { createApiRef, DiscoveryApi } from '@backstage/core';
+import { createApiRef, DiscoveryApi, IdentityApi } from '@backstage/core';
 import { SearchQuery, SearchResultSet } from '@backstage/search-common';
 import qs from 'qs';
 
@@ -29,17 +29,25 @@ export interface SearchApi {
 
 export class SearchClient implements SearchApi {
   private readonly discoveryApi: DiscoveryApi;
+  private readonly identityApi: IdentityApi;
 
-  constructor(options: { discoveryApi: DiscoveryApi }) {
+  constructor(options: {
+    discoveryApi: DiscoveryApi;
+    identityApi: IdentityApi;
+  }) {
     this.discoveryApi = options.discoveryApi;
+    this.identityApi = options.identityApi;
   }
 
   async query(query: SearchQuery): Promise<SearchResultSet> {
+    const token = await this.identityApi.getIdToken();
     const queryString = qs.stringify(query);
     const url = `${await this.discoveryApi.getBaseUrl(
       'search/query',
     )}?${queryString}`;
-    const response = await fetch(url);
+    const response = await fetch(url, {
+      headers: token ? { Authorization: `Bearer ${token}` } : {},
+    });
     return response.json();
   }
 }
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/plugin.ts b/plugins/search/src/plugin.ts
index 45987a3749..a0f2103c5f 100644
--- a/plugins/search/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/plugins/search/src/plugin.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import {
   createRoutableExtension,
   discoveryApiRef,
   createComponentExtension,
+  identityApiRef,
 } from '@backstage/core';
 import { SearchClient, searchApiRef } from './apis';
 
@@ -38,9 +39,9 @@ export const searchPlugin = createPlugin({
   apis: [
     createApiFactory({
       api: searchApiRef,
-      deps: { discoveryApi: discoveryApiRef },
-      factory: ({ discoveryApi }) => {
-        return new SearchClient({ discoveryApi });
+      deps: { discoveryApi: discoveryApiRef, identityApi: identityApiRef },
+      factory: ({ discoveryApi, identityApi }) => {
+        return new SearchClient({ discoveryApi, identityApi });
       },
     }),
   ],