diff --git a/src/middleware.ts b/src/middleware.ts
index 807e65c..ca6282b 100644
--- a/src/middleware.ts
+++ b/src/middleware.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,19 @@
 import { authMiddleware } from "@clerk/nextjs";
+import { validateRequest } from "./server/unkey";
+import { NextResponse } from "next/server";
 
 export default authMiddleware({
   publicRoutes: ["/", "/api/(.*)"],
+  beforeAuth: async (req) => {
+    if (req.nextUrl.pathname.startsWith("/api/external")) {
+      const isValid = await validateRequest(req);
+      console.log("Is Valid?: ", isValid);
+      if (isValid) {
+        return NextResponse.next();
+      }
+      return new NextResponse("UNAUTHORIZED", { status: 403 });
+    }
+  },
 });
 
 export const config = {
diff --git a/src/pages/api/external/ping.ts b/src/pages/api/external/ping.ts
index 9125d74..9c32a57 100644
--- a/src/pages/api/external/ping.ts
+++ b/src/pages/api/external/ping.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,9 @@
 import type { NextApiRequest, NextApiResponse } from "next";
-import { validateRequest } from "~/server/unkey";
 
 export default async function handler(
   req: NextApiRequest,
   res: NextApiResponse
 ) {
-  const isValid = await validateRequest(req, res);
-
-  if (isValid) {
-    res.status(200).json({ result: "Pong!" });
-  }
+  console.log("Made it to the function!");
+  res.status(200).json({ result: "Pong!" });
 }
diff --git a/src/server/unkey.ts b/src/server/unkey.ts
index ad2163d..15686b8 100644
--- a/src/server/unkey.ts
+++ b/src/server/unkey.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { Unkey } from "@unkey/api";
-import type { NextApiRequest, NextApiResponse } from "next";
+import { NextRequest } from "next/server";
 import { env } from "~/env.mjs";
 
 export const unkey = new Unkey({ token: env.UNKEY_ROOT_KEY });
@@ -15,22 +15,16 @@ export const validateApiKey = async (key: string) => {
   }
 };
 
-export const validateRequest = async (
-  req: NextApiRequest,
-  res: NextApiResponse
-) => {
+export const validateRequest = async (req: NextRequest) => {
   let isValidKey: boolean = false;
+  const authorization = req.headers.get("authorization");
   // Get the auth bearer token if it exists
-  if (req.headers.authorization) {
-    const key = req.headers.authorization.split("Bearer ").at(1);
+  if (authorization) {
+    const key = authorization.split("Bearer ").at(1);
     if (key) {
       isValidKey = await validateApiKey(key);
     }
   }
 
-  if (!isValidKey) {
-    res.status(403).json({ error: "UNAUTHORIZED" });
-  }
-
   return isValidKey;
 };