diff --git a/src/middleware.ts b/src/middleware.ts
index 807e65c..bf28af1 100644
--- a/src/middleware.ts
+++ b/src/middleware.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,29 @@
-import { authMiddleware } from "@clerk/nextjs";
+import { authMiddleware, redirectToSignIn } from "@clerk/nextjs";
+import { validateRequest } from "./server/unkey";
+import { NextResponse } from "next/server";
 
 export default authMiddleware({
-  publicRoutes: ["/", "/api/(.*)"],
+  publicRoutes: ["/", "/api/public/(.*)"],
+  afterAuth: async (auth, req) => {
+    if (!auth.userId && auth.isPublicRoute) {
+      return NextResponse.next();
+    }
+
+    if (
+      req.nextUrl.pathname.includes("/api/webhooks") ||
+      req.nextUrl.pathname.includes("/api/private")
+    ) {
+      const isValid = await validateRequest(req);
+      if (isValid) {
+        return NextResponse.next();
+      } else {
+        return new NextResponse("UNAUTHORIZED", { status: 403 });
+      }
+    }
+    if (!auth.userId && !auth.isPublicRoute) {
+      redirectToSignIn({ returnBackUrl: req.url });
+    }
+  },
 });
 
 export const config = {
diff --git a/src/pages/api/external/ping.ts b/src/pages/api/external/ping.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 9125d74..0000000
--- a/src/pages/api/external/ping.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-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!" });
-  }
-}
diff --git a/src/pages/api/private/ping.ts b/src/pages/api/private/ping.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ca89e26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pages/api/private/ping.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import { NextResponse } from "next/server";
+
+export const config = {
+  runtime: "edge",
+  regions: ["pdx1"],
+};
+
+export default function handler() {
+  return NextResponse.json(
+    { message: "Private Pong!" },
+    { status: 200, statusText: "SUCCESS" }
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/pages/api/public/ping.ts b/src/pages/api/public/ping.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5b6a76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pages/api/public/ping.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import { NextResponse } from "next/server";
+
+export const config = {
+  runtime: "edge",
+  regions: ["pdx1"],
+};
+
+export default function handler() {
+  return NextResponse.json(
+    { message: "Public Pong!" },
+    { status: 200, statusText: "SUCCESS" }
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/pages/api/webhooks/index.ts b/src/pages/api/webhooks/index.ts
index b699ab2..1599c00 100644
--- a/src/pages/api/webhooks/index.ts
+++ b/src/pages/api/webhooks/index.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import type { NextApiRequest, NextApiResponse } from "next";
-import { validateRequest } from "~/server/unkey";
 import {
   onUserCreatedHandler,
   onUserDeletedHandler,
@@ -10,12 +9,6 @@ export default async function handler(
   req: NextApiRequest,
   res: NextApiResponse
 ) {
-  const isValid = await validateRequest(req, res);
-
-  if (!isValid) {
-    return;
-  }
-
   try {
     const requestBody = WebhookEventBodySchema.parse(req.body);
 
diff --git a/src/server/unkey.ts b/src/server/unkey.ts
index ad2163d..7c04922 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 +15,17 @@ 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;
 };